NCAA First Round 2007 by the Number$

By Kyle Whelliston on March 14, 2007 8:09 AM | Permalink

So what are the real upsets? When it comes to college sports, it's all about the Benjamins. Here, then, are the first round matchups with the participating schools' 2005-06 athletic budgets. "Differences" are based on the high seed's budget. As always, expense data from the Office of Postsecondary Education.

Fun facts:

Of the 32 first-round matchups, the lower seed has a larger budget in seven games.

In the two matchups with high mid-major seeds (#Southern Illinois v. Holy Cross and Butler v. Old Dominion), the lower seeded school has a higher athletic budget.

Wow, wouldn't it be cool if Central Connecticut State found a way to win? Ohio State has nearly 18 times the money to spend, the first round's largest disparity.

When Northwestern State beat Iowa last year in a No. 14 over No. 3 upset, the budget difference was 14X in favor of Iowa.

Thursday
(1) North Carolina [$53.7m] vs. (16) Eastern Kentucky [$9.3m] ... budget difference: 5.76X
(1) Ohio State [$101.8m] vs. (16) Central Connecticut State [$5.6m] ... budget difference: 17.96X
(2) UCLA [$52m] vs. (15) Weber State [$6m] ... budget difference: 8.67X
(2) Georgetown [$23.6m] vs. (15) Belmont [$6.6m] ... budget difference: 3.55X
(3) Pittsburgh [$33.1m] vs. (14) Wright State [$8.7m] ... budget difference: 3.79X
(3) Washington State [$27.2m] vs. (14) Oral Roberts [$8.1m] ... budget difference: 3.35X
(3) Texas A&M [$61.4m] vs. (14) Pennsylvania [$23.3m] ... budget difference: 2.63X
(4) Maryland [$46.2m] vs. (13) Davidson [$8m] ... budget difference: 5.78X
(5) Butler [$9.6m] vs. (12) Old Dominion [$13.9m] ... budget difference: 0.69X
(6) Duke [$49.8m] vs. (11) Virginia Commonwealth [$11.9m] ... budget difference: 4.16X
(6) Vanderbilt [$40.3m] vs. (11) George Washington [$15.7m] ... budget difference: 2.56X
(6) Louisville [$45.1m] vs. (11) Stanford [$60m] ... budget difference: 0.74X
(7) Indiana [$39.4m] vs. (10) UMPFN [$8.8m] ... budget difference: 4.48X
(7) Boston College [$51.7m] vs. (10) Texas Tech [$53.3m] ... budget difference: 0.97X
(8) Marquette [$19.5m] vs. (9) Michigan State [$66.7m] ... budget difference: 0.29X
(8) Brigham Young [$30.2m] vs. (9) Xavier [$10.7m] ... budget difference: 2.79X

Friday

(1) Florida [$78.1m] vs. (16) Jackson State [$5.5m] ... budget difference: 14.06X
(1) Kansas [$47.5m] vs. (16) Niagara [$7.4m] ... budget difference: 6.37X
(2) Wisconsin [$62.8m] vs. (15) Texas A&M-Corpus Christi [$5.3m] ... budget difference: 11.77X
(2) Memphis [$27.1m] vs. (15) North Texas [$13.8m] ... budget difference: 1.96X
(3) Oregon [$44.6m] vs. (14) Miami (Oh.) [$20.5m] ... budget difference: 2.18X
(4) Southern Illinois [$9.7m] vs. (13) Holy Cross [$12.1m] ... budget difference: 0.80X
(4) Texas [$83.6m] vs. (13) New Mexico State [$12.2m] ... budget difference: 6.86X
(4) Virginia [$92.6m] vs. (13) Albany [$10.3m] ... budget difference: 8.91X
(5) Virginia Tech [$45.1m] vs. (12) Illinois [$41.4m] ... budget difference: 1.09X
(5) Southern California [$65.4m] vs. (12) Arkansas [$47.1m] ... budget difference: 1.39X
(5) Tennessee [$66.1m] vs. (12) Long Beach State [$10.1m] ... budget difference: 6.52X
(6) Notre Dame [$55.4m] vs. (11) Winthrop [$7.7m] ... budget difference: 7.12X
(7) Nevada-Las Vegas [$23.6m] vs. (10) Georgia Tech [$43.4m] ... budget difference: 0.55X
(7) Nevada [$19.4m] vs. (10) Creighton [$10.6m] ... budget difference: 1.83X
(8) Arizona [$38.4m] vs. (9) Purdue [$50.1m] ... budget difference: 0.77X
(8) Kentucky [$57.1m] vs. (9) Villanova [$21.4m] ... budget difference: 2.66X

Yes, I've written about it.