Report: Arizona outspent ASU in football, basketball recruiting last year

In this Territorial Cup contest, the Wildcats are leading in cost of recruiting athletes.

In partnership with Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, the Courier Journal and USA Today Network studied how much Power Five conference public schools are spending on recruiting since 2013 when it comes to football and men’s basketball.

Over the span of five years, Arizona cumulatively spent $3.3 million while Arizona State spent $3.09 million. During 2018, Arizona spent $545,968 in football while ASU dropped $531,807.

The report showed that Arizona spent $228,087 on basketball recruiting in 2018 while ASU spent $192,484 for their program.

The Sun Devils’ football spending is down 19.5% since 2013, the third-largest drop compared to other the other 52 schools listed in the report. Meanwhile, basketball recruiting costs increased 29.3% in the same span of time.

No school to make the 2019 Final Four ranked higher that 17th nationally in spending. They were Auburn, 17th; Texas Tech, 21st; Michigan State, 31st; and Virginia, 32nd.

Of Pac-12 schools, Oregon led the conference in basketball numbers with $286,799 spent in 2018.

Utah led the conference in football recruit spending at just over $1 million, nearly double what they spent in 2013.

Overall, Georgia football topped the list at $2.6 million, 351.7% increase since 2013. In fact, SEC schools hold the top three spots with Alabama ($2.3 million) and Tennessee ($2 million).

Every school in the study spent more to recruit football than basketball, with the exception of Indiana. During 2018, the Hoosiers spent $739,722 for men’s basketball and $692,972 for football.

Indiana’s basketball spending was the most in the country, followed by Illinois ($703,536) and Kentucky ($645,160).

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