Forbes Magazine, who I believe knows a little about money, has taken the time write about all the cash the University of Kentucky Basketball program could be rolling in if they stay undefeated for the entire season.
And a perfect season, the first in nearly 40 years, would mean a major financial haul, too. There’s some guesswork involved in figuring out exactly how much an undefeated championship might be worth, but even a conservative estimate would put $4 million in the team’s coffers. A more realistic number might be close to double that.
A chart will help show the money that could be made from past national champions, including the 2012 Kentucky Wildcats:
Forbes thinks the numbers above could be comparable to what an undefeated run would mean dollar wise, but says perfection could blow the top off the piggy bank.
Last year Kentucky basketball had revenue of $23.7 million. If it gets another 16% bump, like it did a few seasons ago, it would add almost $4 million to that pot. The more modest 11% increase reflected in the table would still bring total revenue up to $26.3 million.
And yet those increases, which are sizable to begin with, are based on teams that have made title runs while losing a few games. Going undefeated is a different beast. The hunt for a perfect season would turn the NCAA Tournament into two-plus weeks of front-page coverage, and that doesn’t even touch on the assured subsequent talk of the team’s NBA draft prospects and where Calipari ranks among college basketball’s all-time greats. Wildcat-emblazoned “40-0″ championship merchandise would sell like wildfire in Lexington, and a top spot in the record books – Kentucky would have eight more wins than Knight’s Indiana team – is as good as it gets in terms of exposure.
You can read “An Undefeated Season Could Be Worth Millions To Kentucky” by clicking here.
