"Their boosters are just super wealthy": Lexie Brown predicts total shift in college sports amid $70,000,000 payout

Modified Apr 06, 2025 15:26 GMT

WNBA: JUN 09 Las Vegas Aces at Los Angeles Sparks - Source: Getty

WNBA star Lexie Brown has predicted a complete shift in the college sports scene following the SEC’s historic $70 million payout. As per Reuters, the NCAA pays each conference one “unit” per game played by their members in the tournament stage. This season, the SEC sent 14 of their 16 teams to the NCAA tournament, resulting in 35 games, which equates to roughly $70 million.

Reacting to the same on the "Full Circle Podcast," Lexie Brown predicted that more and more college stars will now gravitate towards the SEC.

“I’m telling you all the top players are going to the SEC,” said Brown.

“The next three years, every top player is going to be in the SEC. The other conferences simply can’t compete cause they got the TV money, they got the football money, their boosters are clearly just super wealthy, and they love their university. I will say people who go to the SEC schools have a lot of pride, whether they’re athletes or not.”

Brown then suggested that the SEC will soon be “running the table”:

“I see the SEC running the table. I mean, they’re running it right now, lowkey. They’re on the way, and they’re doing it for men already, so football, women’s basketball, and men’s basketball are all going to live in the SEC.”

The South Carolina Gamecocks and the Florida Gators are the last SEC teams in the NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks will face the Connecticut Huskies in the championship game on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Florida Gators men's basketball team will face the Houston Cougars for their championship game on Monday.

Lexie Brown was traded to the Seattle Storm this offseason

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The LA Sparks decided to part ways with Lexie Brown after three years. Brown played 62 games for the Sparks, recording 9.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 41.6% from the field. The Seattle Storm acquired Brown from LA on February 2 in exchange for draft choices.

Entering her eighth season in the league, Brown is on a two-year contract that will see her earn $195,226, as per Spotrac. The 30-year-old is a proven winner and a WNBA champion. It'll be interesting to see what she has in store for us during her time with the Seattle Storm.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by John Maxwell