Alabama AD Greg Byrne says many men’s basketball programs ‘are now losing money’

For generations, college football has served as the financial engine for athletic departments, with men's basketball often contributing as a reliable secondary revenue driver. However, the financial landscape of collegiate athletics is shifting rapidly, and Alabama Athletics Director Greg Byrne warns that the profitability of men’s basketball programs is in jeopardy.

A Shrinking List of Profitable Programs

Speaking at the SEC spring meetings in Miramar Beach, Florida, Byrne highlighted the stark reality facing the sport. He noted that there are likely only a handful of men's basketball programs nationwide that remain profitable today, a shift that occurred over just a few years. Byrne suggested that as roster expenses climb, basketball is increasingly becoming a net financial drain on overall department budgets.

While Alabama men’s basketball reported a $9.2 million surplus for the 2025 fiscal year, according to financial records previously reported by 205focus.com, the lack of standardized reporting on player compensation makes it difficult to track exact net gains. With no centralized database for NIL deals, revenue sharing, or other forms of athlete pay, the true cost of rosters remains opaque.

Mounting Financial Pressures

The cost of talent is clearly the primary driver of this trend. Recent reports from Yahoo! Sports indicate that many programs are pouring more than 50% of their annual revenue directly into roster costs.

Byrne acknowledged that managing these expenses while maintaining a broad 21-sport offering is an immense challenge. While he made it clear that Alabama has no plans to cut sports, he emphasized that the current financial model is under significant stress. “That’s a big thing to realize men’s basketball programs are now losing money,” Byrne said.

This sentiment is echoed across the industry. West Virginia AD Wren Baker recently estimated that fewer than 20 men’s basketball programs across the country are truly profitable once roster spending is factored into the equation. Byrne admitted that beyond perennial powerhouses like Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky, he struggles to identify others currently staying in the black.

Despite the success Nate Oats has achieved on the court, the underlying economic math remains a primary focus for Byrne and his peers. “We have a successful men’s basketball program,” Byrne said. “So if that’s become the reality at our place in talking to my peers, I’m sensing the exact same thing.”