June 6 marked a turning point for college sports.
That was the day that Judge Claudia Wilken approved the House vs. NCAA settlement, ending a five-year legal battle. The judgment opened the doors for schools to share millions with student-athletes. At UNC, that means a $20.5 million pot to split.
The Tar Heels seem to have a plan where most of the money goes to football and men’s basketball, with smaller slices for women’s basketball and baseball. This big-money move puts Olympic sports and women’s sports on the sidelines, at least when it comes to direct payouts.
However, as per a recent interview, UNC’s brass insists there’s a method to the madness.
Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham Gets Candid on Revenue Sharing, What’s Next for Courtney Banghart’s Squad
On UNC’s Carolina Insider podcast, athletics director Bubba Cunningham broke down exactly how the $20.5 million will be sliced up and distributed. Football pulls in $13 million, men’s basketball gets $7 million, while women’s basketball and baseball each land $250,000. Cunningham says the reasoning lies in a simple market reality.
“Commercial activity goes to those that generate it,” Cunningham explained, pointing out that last season’s revenue numbers drove the split. The $6.75 million gap between the two is not accidental. However, he went on to assure that this is not completely different from the ongoing revenue split.
Cunningham said the school has always used football and men’s basketball money to support its other 26 sports. The difference now is that the House settlement formalizes that arrangement with a lot more money on the table. This means that sports like baseball and women’s basketball won’t see the same cash boost in direct payments; they will instead benefit through expanded scholarships.
A good example of how schools are already counting third party money as part of their team payrolls.
UNC’s women’s basketball team is only getting $250k of the school’s rev-share budget.
But the AD says the team’s payroll will be over $1M. https://t.co/9ebWdrNCz9
— Mit Winter (@WinterSportsLaw) August 15, 2025
UNC’s athletics budget is roughly $150 million for 2024–25, and it is projected to rise by about $30 million next year as revenue sharing and expanded scholarships become new line items. And on that front, UNC is going big.
Thanks to new roster and scholarship rules, the Tar Heels jumped from 338 to 532 scholarships this year. That includes maxing out women’s basketball’s 15 scholarships while adding dozens across women’s soccer, lacrosse, tennis, and field hockey.
Cunningham sees this as the “fair” way to keep all 28 sports competitive while rewarding the revenue drivers. Now, giving women’s basketball $250,000 is interesting, especially considering the fact that head coach Courtney Banghart’s salary alone is nearly four times what the program is receiving in revenue sharing.
I have found this revenue share chart from @theCSCommission to be super helpful as we discuss revenue sharing cap. New world for all of us.
(Side note: Interested to find out how UNC shared $20.5M and upped scholarships by ~200.) pic.twitter.com/0ax1AFYwiv
— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) August 15, 2025
Cunningham went on to add, “Courtney had done such an incredible job of fundraising, so her payroll, if you will, is over a million dollars this year for the women’s basketball team. So that’s very competitive with some of the top programs in the country.” Still, the contrast is stark.
According to USA Today, Banghart earned $950,000 in total pay in 2024, with a hefty bonus potential of $670,000. To be fair, since taking over in 2019, Banghart has led UNC women’s basketball to a 125–64 record and four NCAA Tournament appearances in five eligible seasons, including two Sweet Sixteen runs.
The program’s ACC record under her sits at 63–44. Banghard has managed to keep the UNC women’s squad competitive in one of the nation’s toughest conferences despite facing programs with far greater revenue advantages. Still, the gap raises questions about whether this model truly benefits women’s sports in the same way it bolsters the men’s programs, pulling in millions.
Cunningham said the split aligns with revenue generation. MBB drives about 35% of revenue with football at 65%. Baseball is third and WBB is fourth, per Cunningham. Obviously, UNC doesn’t exceed 100% of revenue, but that’s how it determined the breakdown. https://t.co/kPd5NANRcF
— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) August 15, 2025
Under this model, men’s basketball is earning $6.75 million more than Banghart’s squad. That gap shows a national trend. Other schools like Ohio State and Texas A&M are also funneling the bulk to football and men’s hoops, with women’s basketball generally in third place.
Over time, those smaller payouts could translate into fewer high-profile recruits, reduced NIL opportunities for players, and an even steeper climb to national relevance. At UNC, the scholarship boost is a lifeline, but scholarships don’t cover everything. Athletes still need strong NIL deals, competitive facilities, and the kind of media exposure that drives future revenue.
If women’s basketball is stuck at $250K in revenue sharing while men’s hoops rakes in $7 million, the structural imbalance could harden into a long-term disadvantage, no matter how competitive the coaching salary looks on paper. However, not all hope is lost just yet.
New episode of my podcast out now with UNC AD Bubba Cunningham and we talk about the future of college sports, athlete rights, and how we bring structure to the industry — you can listen at https://t.co/977UMwAKeQ @BubbaUNC pic.twitter.com/75dSfEMPBj
— Jim Cavale (@jimcavale) July 30, 2025
Cunningham says UNC will re-evaluate after the first year, adjusting if revenue patterns shift. For now, the goal is to stay nationally competitive in football and basketball while keeping all other programs fully funded. The gamble might pay off with football season tickets selling out earlier than ever under new coach Bill Belichick.
The Tar Heels know the stakes, and they’re betting their biggest chips where the biggest returns are. Whether that balance holds in the long run is a game only the scoreboard can decide.
