Shockers Financial Disparity a Non-Factor in March Madness

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Louisville coach Rick Pitino makes a base salary of $3.9 million. The entire Wichita State basketball program runs on a budget of just over $3 million. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some advantages enjoyed by the Shockers, who will faced the Cardinals in the Final Four on Saturday night. Their strong aviation programs means they have a fleet of private planes at their disposal, and the fact that they no longer have a football program means Gregg Marshall’s basketball team is the biggest thing going on campus. Besides, the startling disparity in financial resources between Wichita State and fellow Final Four teams Louisville, Michigan and Syracuse hardly means much on the hardwood, where the Shockers already have proven that everybody can be equal.