Once again, CBS Sports presents our annual Candid Coaches series, focusing on topical discussions within men’s college basketball. We surveyed approximately 100 coaches over recent weeks, encouraging candid feedback while respecting their anonymity.

Athletic directors today face difficult decisions about how to distribute a cap of up to $20.5 million designated for athlete support.

A pressing question is: How much of that funding should be allocated to men’s basketball?

Insights Based on Football Programs

The responses diverged significantly based on the presence of FBS football programs:

• FBS Football Schools

  • 25% to 30% of revenue: 56% of votes
  • 15% to 20%: 35%
  • 30% to 40%: 9%

• Non-FBS Football Schools

  • 90% to 95%: 29% of votes
  • 70% to 80%: 27%
  • 50% to 60%: 19%
  • 30% to 40%: 15%
  • 20% to 25%: 10%

Opinions that Resonated

Coaches from schools with FBS football expressed various thoughts:

• “This varies greatly by university. Programs like Duke and Kentucky will resource their sports differently than programs like Clemson.”
• “Football must receive 70%; men’s basketball 25%, with the remaining 5% allocated to women’s basketball. I don’t see funding for other sports being justified.”

For schools without FBS football, the sentiments included:

• “Here, men’s basketball serves as our exclusive revenue generator; logically, it deserves 90% of our funds.”

Final Reflections

The distinct responses underscore the challenges posed by differing institutional priorities and budgets. As the changing landscape of college athletics continues to evolve, coaches across the nation wrestle with budget disparities, rooting for fairer financial distribution in the future.

*“Why not mandate an equal distribution of revenue for each sport? An equitable approach could foster stability and fairness across the board.”

As the debate continues, stay tuned for upcoming surveys focused on this vital issue.