Athletes looking to move onto a DI college or university have the best chance if they play basketball. There are 358 schools that offer players the chance to play at the highest level for college basketball. Out of those 358 schools in 2021-2022 there are 32 Division I basketball conferences.
In comparison, D1 college football has 131 schools in 10 different conferences. A drastic difference in numbers compared to basketball, but why? Keep reading to have a better understanding of the staggering differences in opportunities for D1 basketball compared to other sports.
Cheapest Sport To Support Players & Buy Equipment
Division 1 basketball can offer 13 full ride scholarships a year to field their team that has an average roster of 15 players. Football has 85 full ride scholarships available to field a team of 90-130 student athletes. It costs a D1 basketball program a lot less money to offer full ride scholarships and field a successful team in comparison to football.
In terms of equipment, a lot more money goes into fully equipping a college football player than a college basketball player. A college basketball player needs shoes and a uniform. College football players need a helmet, jersey, shoulder pads, thigh pads, knee pads, pants, socks, and cleats. They can even request additional equipment based on individual needs like gloves, visors, towels, or hand warmers.
Overall, it is a lot easier to provide scholarships and equipment for a successful basketball program than a football program meaning that a lot of schools can more easily support a basketball program.
Most Colleges Already Have The Facilities For Basketball
Another reason Division I basketball is able to have a larger number of schools and teams is simply because of the cost of facilities and fields. On average, a basketball court can cost around $46,000. In contrast, a turf football field might cost $750,000 or more!
The average yearly maintenance for a turf football field can run around $8,000. A basketball stadium will rarely need court upkeep each year unless it is being repainted or boards are being repaired. Regardless, the upkeep on cost is much, much lower.
It’s important to keep in mind that most Division I universities use their basketball arenas all year long to bring in additional money to their schools. Arenas can house concerts, children's shows, truck derbies, and many additional entertainment venues. This creates a more lucrative venue for universities in comparison to football facilities.
For smaller schools this makes it much easier to build and maintain facilities for college basketball than other sports like football.
Basketball Is The Easiest Sport To Make A Profit
Division I colleges and universities might come off to be all about the students and the student athletes, but it’s important to remember that they are a business first. Their number one goal is to make money.
Basketball is a much easier sport for D1 schools to support atl universities, big and small, because of this simple fact.
