Should the Playing Field Be Leveled? Funding Inequities Among Division I Athletic Programs

Abstract

Significant funding inequity exists within Division I athletic programs. The widening gap between heavily resourced university athletic programs and those less resourced is explored, explained, and then analyzed. Considerations are offered to help frame continued discussion and include regulating the number of ancillary personnel, creating a financial support bandwidth for conference membership, distributing media income, and scaling success differently.