WVU Athletics: How 2024-25 Spending Compares to the Big 12

WVU Athletics can compensate their student athletes for up to $20.5 million during the 2025-26 academic year as a result of the landmark House v. NCAA settlement, as can every other Division I program. That’s quite a bit of money, albeit split between the Mountaineers’ 18 varsity teams.

To give fans an idea of how that money might go to use — and how much money they hold at their disposal — here’s a report from strategy and analytics consultant Tony Altimore breaking down the total budget (including travel, operations, and the like), spending per athlete, and money devoted to sports outside of traditional revenue generators like football and men’s basketball.

UPDATED SPORTS FINANCIALS:
Now that we have updated reporting from ALL schools, here's some interesting looks at:
– Overall OpEx
– Size of Depts
– Spend on Olympic Sports (not FB or MBB)
– Overall Spend per Athlete

Note how the schools rebuilding to elite status stand out, along… pic.twitter.com/IFN1PZzGtb

— Tony Altimore (@TJAltimore) June 4, 2025

Altimore reports that during Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) WVU Athletics’ operating budget came out to $106 million in total, ranking them No. 11 of the 15 teams in the Big 12. Kansas set the high water mark at $156 million, while Kansas State brought  up the rear across the power conferences at $88 million. Across Division I, Ohio State came in first at $262 million spent.

Big 12 programs spent the least on average of the four power conferences, but they also roster far fewer athletes and programs. The Mountaineers $213,000 spent per athlete would put them last in the SEC, third to last in the Big Ten and 11th of 18 teams in the ACC (including Notre Dame).

How the Money Breaks Down

Of their $106 million spent, WVU Athletics devoted $44 million to sports beyond football and Men’s Basketball, those two programs taking the lion’s share of spending ($62 million) when compared to the other 16 varsity sports.

Most Power Four programs spent more than half their budget on men’s basketball and football, so that tracks with the averages: the Buckeyes, for example, spent just $110 million of their $262 million purse on sports outside those two.

That operating budget includes transportation, lodging, and the myriad expenses needed to keep multiple athletic programs running. Compared to major program budgets like Ohio State or Alabama, the Mountaineers might have trouble reaching that $20.5 million spending cap, and the repercussions of the House settlement could further increase the gap between haves and have-nots in college athletics.