20 Most Valuable Teams In NCAA Basketball, According To Forbes

Ashley Schaeffer BMW11 years ago

Although some people may view Louisville’s fourth seed as a snub in this year’s Big Dance, the heralded program certainly doesn’t get snubbed when it comes to its balance sheet.

According to Forbes’ 2014 list of the most valuable programs in NCAA basketball, Louisville and Rick Pitino trump everyone when it comes to the program’s wealth. The Cardinals are valued at a whopping $39.5 million.

Ever since the magazine started ranking the most valuable squads in the nation, Louisville has always been among the top three. The Cardinals’ move into a new venue, the KFC Yum! Center, boasts the third highest seating capacity in Division I basketball. The venue has helped the program’s value explode even more, bringing in close to 40 percent more revenue than it did two years ago.

Some of the other teams to top the list include Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Indiana.

Intrinsically, there’s a pretty good correlation with the talent a team shows on the court and the value it commands.

Here’s the full list:

20. Arkansas Razorbacks

Team value: $11 million
One-year change: N/A
Profit: $7.3 million
Conference: SEC
Head coach: Mike Anderson

19. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Team value: $11.6 million
One-year change: -29%
Profit: $7.5 million
Conference: Big Ten
Head coach: Richard Pitino

18. Maryland Terrapins

Team value: $11.9 million
One-year change: -21%
Profit: $7.8 million
Conference: ACC
Head coach: Mark Turgeon

17. Xavier Musketeers

Team value: $13.4 million
One-year change: -2%
Profit: $7.3 million
Conference: Big East
Head coach: Chris Mack

16. Texas Longhorns

Team value: $13.6 million
One-year change: -19%
Profit: $7.9 million
Conference: Big 12
Head coach: Rick Barnes

15. Tennessee Volunteers

Team value: $14.1 million
One-year change: -9%
Profit: $8.5 million
Conference: SEC
Head coach: Cuonzo Martin

14. Michigan Wolverines

Team value: $14.2 million
One-year change: N/A
Profit: $8.3 million
Conference: Big Ten
Head coach: John Beilein

13. Illinois Fighting Illini

Team value: $15.8 million
One-year change: 12%
Profit: $10.3 million
Conference: Big Ten
Head coach: John Groce

12. NC State Wolfpack

Team value: $17 million
One-year change: 30%
Profit: $11.3 million
Conference: ACC
Head coach: Mark Gottfried

11. Michigan State Spartans

Team value: $17.1 million
One-year change: -2%
Profit: $9.1 million
Conference: Big Ten
Head coach: Tom Izzo

10. Duke Blue Devils

Team value: $18.9 million
One-year change: 11%
Profit: $10.6 million
Conference: ACC
Head coach: Mike Krzyzewski

9. Syracuse Orange

Team value: $21 million
One-year change: 10%
Profit: $12.3 million
Conference: ACC
Head coach: Jim Boeheim

8. Wisconsin Badgers

Team value: $21.1 million
One-year change: 7%
Profit: $12.7 million
Conference: Big Ten
Head coach: Bo Ryan

7. Ohio State Buckeyes

Team value: $22.9 million
One-year change: -1%
Profit: $13.5 million
Conference: Big Ten
Head coach: Thad Matta

6. Arizona Wildcats

Team value: $25.2 million
One-year change: 29%
Profit: $16.1 million
Conference: Pac-12
Head coach: Sean Miller

5. Indiana Hoosiers

Team value: $25.4 million
One-year change: 17%
Profit: $16.9 million
Conference: Big Ten
Head coach: Tom Crean

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

Team value: $25.7 million
One-year change: -22%
Profit: $14.8 million
Conference: ACC
Head coach: Roy Williams

3. Kentucky Wildcats

Team value: $32.5 million
One-year change: 1%
Profit: $20.4 million
Conference: SEC
Head coach: John Calipari

2. Kansas Jayhawks

Team value: $33 million
One-year change: 0%
Profit: $20 million
Conference: Big 12
Head coach: Bill Self

1. Louisville Cardinals

Team value: $39.5 million
One-year change: 3%
Profit: $24.7 million
Conference: AAC
Head coach: Rick Pitino

It’ll be interesting to how much program worth plays into the tournament this year–my guess is we’ll likely see one of the squads in the top 10 take home the crown this year.

Head to Forbes if you’re interested in all the analysis and statistics the article offers, as there is an abundance.

[via Forbes]