Mississippi State women’s basketball was 10th out of the 15 public SEC institutions in both total operating revenues and expenses in Fiscal Year 2025, according to each school’s NCAA financial report.
MSU spent $6.3 million on its women’s basketball program in FY 25 while generating $911,421 in revenue. MSU’s deficit of $5.6 million was the seventh largest of the 15 SEC schools who reported their numbers. Vanderbilt, a private institution, did not report its numbers. The MSU program was one of six SEC women’s basketball programs to generate less than $1 million.
Coaching salaries were the program’s highest expense. MSU paid head coach Sam Purcell and assistants $1.99 million. An additional $179,045 in “NCAA Post-Season Non-Football Expenses – Coaching Compensation/Bonuses” was reported separately.
The program’s travel – the only other expense to surpass $1 million – cost MSU $1.03 million in FY 25. Travel cost and coaching salaries accounted for 47% of MSU’s total women’s basketball expenses.
Athletic student aid was the only other expense of the 19 reported expenses to pass $500,000, according to the reports provided to The Dispatch by Al.com reporter Matt Stahl.
Women’s basketball’s big spenders ballooned expenses through high coaching pay. South Carolina’s Dawn Staley and her assistants were paid $6.3 million, with $2.2 million paid by a “third party.” Kim Mulkey and company cost LSU $5.2 million.
Ticket sales were the highest revenue generator for MSU. The program made $573,371 on ticket sales. MSU made $171,473 in “total NCAA distributions” and $130,509 in “program, novelty, parking and concession sales.” No other revenue surpassed $100,000.
South Carolina’s conference high revenue was helped by $2.2 million in “compensation in benefits provided by a third party.” No other school reported any of these benefits towards its women’s basketball program.
Jake is the Mississippi State athletics reporter for The Dispatch.
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