Transparency in Women’s Basketball Revenue Sharing: Coach Fernandez Advocates Change

Jose Fernandez took over as head coach at South Florida in 2000. Since then, women’s college basketball has changed a lot.

The sport’s audience has grown rapidly. The 2024-25 season was the most-watched regular season ever on ESPN platforms.

The national championship game drew a peak audience of 9.9 million people. That made it the third most-watched game in history.

Women’s college basketball now brings in real revenue. Postseason units, NIL deals, and direct revenue sharing—helped by the House Settlement—have all played a part.

The Evolution of Women’s College Basketball

Over the last two decades, women’s college basketball has really stepped up. Not only does it have a bigger audience, but it’s also making more money than ever.

What’s behind this shift? A few big changes stand out:

• Increased Viewership: The 2024-25 season was the most-watched regular season ever on ESPN platforms.
• Postseason Units: For the first time, women’s college basketball earned postseason units.
• National Television Broadcasts: All postseason games were broadcast on national television.
• March Madness Branding: The tournament began using the “March Madness” branding in marketing materials.
• New TV Deal: A new TV deal with ESPN runs through 2032.

Revenue Sharing and NIL Deals

The House Settlement changed the game for revenue sharing in women’s college basketball. After U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken approved it, new financial opportunities opened up for the sport.

Jose Fernandez, now President of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, sent a letter to all Division I head coaches. He stressed the importance of understanding school policies on Title IX, NIL, and working with agents.

Fernandez also urged coaches to talk with their athletic directors and school administrators about revenue sharing. He believes coaches and players need to know how money is calculated and distributed.

Transparency in Revenue Sharing

Fans and media have wanted more transparency about spending and revenue sharing for a long time. Questions still linger, like how much each school actually spends on women’s basketball or how spending stacks up in the ACC versus the SEC.

So far, only a few Power 4 programs have shared their numbers publicly:

• Texas Tech: $410,000 towards women’s basketball
• Georgia: $900,000
• North Carolina: $250,000

Disparity in Revenue Distribution

At most FBS football schools, women’s basketball gets the third-largest share of revenue. Football and men’s basketball usually take the bulk of it.

For example, North Carolina’s football team receives $13 million a year in revenue sharing. Sometimes, women’s basketball isn’t even in the top three—volleyball or baseball might come ahead.

South Carolina athletic director Jeremiah Donati has been upfront about the priority on football. He’s said plainly that football comes first, especially in the SEC.

Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley, who’s led her team to two national titles in the past four years, has said her players will sign Non-Disclosure Agreements about their pay.

The Case of USF and the American Conference

The University of South Florida (USF) has a different setup. The American Conference stands out as the only league with a public revenue-sharing floor.

Each American school—except for Army and Navy—will share at least $10 million with its athletes over the next three years. Fernandez’s Bulls have a strong case for a good share of that money, considering their track record:

• Played in nine of the last 12 NCAA Tournaments
• Ranked as high as 12th in the AP Top 25 Poll
• Advanced to the second round of March Madness five times since 2013

The Future of Women’s College Basketball

Fernandez is closing in on his 500th career win. Over the years, he’s built USF into one of the most steady mid-major programs around.

But will his team—and others like it—have the funding to keep up? The gap between well-funded programs and everyone else in women’s basketball might get even wider as revenue sharing changes.