I don't begrudge her getting recognition or treatment for her success, so this isn't specifically about Staley getting a bag - but it's hard to understand how these schools can hand out deals like this one for programs that hover at or below revenue neutrality. Last I read, I'm not even sure how far South Carolina has operated in the green these past few years. I suppose as long as they have the external support to fund it, but with everyone and everything coming to cut a piece of flesh off the athletics programs, it just seems incredibly unsustainable.
And before anyone jumps at me, I feel somewhat similarly overpriced football coaching salaries as well.
No WBB program operates in the green, none.
Reasons are many, but primarily due to their TV deal, which shares their paltry TV revenue with the non revenue sports teams, unlike MBB, and even with the new TV deal is far under its true value if judged on a stand alone basis. Viewership is way up for WBB as evidenced by its latest NCAAC game which drew 18 million viewers, more than the men’s championship.
The latest decision to allow WBB teams to share in the revenue of the NCAA tourney is a step in the right direction, teams making the final four can expect about $1.25 million to be paid to their conference and shared with conference members. But it is still not the true worth of the viewership yet. TV stations are profiting greatly currently off of the rise in eyes watching the game.
But to lay this to rest, NO D1 WBB team operates in the green yet. The decision to pay a coach like Staley $5m per year is exactly as
@1reVOLver explained above, it’s about more than the spreadsheet. There are many financial and social media/advertising advantages to a successful program in sports that can transcend the bottom line. The economics of which spread into a community through hotels, restaurants, travel, merchandise, donations and yes, attendance and TV viewership which will likely continue to increase and grow with the sport in general. The next TV deal should be the game changer as long as viewership stays on the rise.
It’s an investment in what is believed to be a sport on the rise. If they are correct, and the game of WBB is growing much larger, than in a few more years schools will be seeking the better coaches like they currently do in men’s sports, and salaries will climb quickly for WBB coaches. And if that’s all true, locking up Staley ahead of the curve is worth every penny. She’s the best current coach there is and it’s not close. Her past ten years are some of the greatest in the sport of course understanding past runs from UT and UConn.
But there is a good point to be made here, it’s been harder to win these past ten years than ever before.
