Vanderbilt Named One of the Most Valuable Women Basketball Programs
College sports continue to grow and evolve, for better or worse, to resemble professional sports. The two will never be exact replicas, one major reason being college teams can’t be bought and sold like professional teams can be.
But what if they could be? What programs would be most valuable? That’s the question Indiana University Columbus associate professor of finance Ryan Brewer answered in a recent study published in the Wall Street Journal (a subscription is required to read the full story).
Brewer’s study ranked programs by their “enterprise value” that is a result of “studying revenues and cash flows while making financial projections about the team’s sustainability.” Brewer’s new study looked at men and women basketball programs and the top schools weren’t surprising. North Carolina and Duke topped the men’s teams and UConn and South Carolina led the women’s teams.
What was surprising is Vanderbilt’s women’s basketball program coming in at No. 7, ahead of Miami, USC and Louisville. The study gave the Commodores a $58 million enterprise value.
A true testament to the dedication of Coach Ralph, her staff and this incredible team.
— Candice Storey Lee (@VandyAD) April 9, 2025
The future is bright in Nashville — and Commodore Nation, we’re just getting started. https://t.co/8wMjxLZYHy
It was surprising to see Vanderbilt ahead of USC, considering that school’s location in Los Angeles, it’s time spent at the top of the national rankings this season and superstar Juju Watkins. But Vanderbilt has plenty to like as a hypothetical buyer.
Vanderbilt’s in Nashville, one of the fastest growing cities in the country, great facilities and a strong NIL initiative. But there’s also the fact a buyer would be purchasing a team on the rise.
The Commodores came in at No. 11 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 this week and has a young superstar in Freshman of the Year Mikayla Blakes.
So, maybe the Commodores’ ranking in Brewer’s study shouldn’t be surprising at all.
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Taylor Hodges is a staff writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI covering all-things Vanderbilt. Taylor brings more than a decade’s worth of award-winning sports writing, photography and video experience covering every level of sports — from Little League baseball to professional sports and other sports like hunting and fishing. Taylor is fueled by his lifelong passion for sports that began the same day Kirk Gibson hit his legendary World Series walk-off home run, Arkansas beat Texas in Austin and No. 4 Notre Dame beat No. 1 Miami in the Catholics vs. Convicts game.