UConn’s NCAA Tournament Runs Are A Financial Boost For The Big East

UConn men's basketball head coach Dan Hurley, left, speaks with UConn women's head coach Geno Auriemma at the First Night practice event at Gampel Pavilion, Oct. 18, 2019 in Storrs, Connecticut. (Brad Horrigan/Hartford Courant/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) TNS Entering Friday night, the UConn men’s and women’s teams both remained in their respective Final Fours of the NCAA Tournament.

That’s good news for UConn, but it’s also good news for the Big East Conference. “The more success that UConn has, the more money that will come into the league, which honestly benefits the league as a whole,” UConn athletic director David Benedict said in an exclusive interview. Benedict is a busy man these days.

He’s currently in Phoenix where Geno Auriemma and the No. 1 ranked UConn women (38-0) were set to face South Carolina in the Final Four Friday night. On Saturday here in Indianapolis, Dan Hurley and the UConn men will face Illinois in the men’s Final Four.

In January, Division I members voted to expand the men's and women's basketball performance funds to financially reward teams' performances after reaching their respective Final Four. Each basketball performance fund will be expanded by three total units: one awarded to each of the two teams that advance to and play in their respective championship game, with an additional unit awarded to the national champion team. For this year, a women’s basketball unit value is $113,636, while a men’s unit value is $358,375.