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On the strength of a 23-9 finish, the University of Hawaii women’s basketball team increased its ticket revenue by 58 percent this season.
UH officials said they believe it is the biggest return by the program in more than a decade.
The Rainbow Wahine took in nearly $60,000 in ticket revenue, $41,133 of that in individual game sales, according to unaudited UH figures.
The total was a sizeable increase from last year’s total revenue of $37,735 and nearly three times the $20,250 UH said it took in for the 2008-09 season.
The Wahine were projected to bring in $55,000 this year.
The Rainbow Wahine drew an average of 1,040 through the turnstiles.
"It is the best we’ve seen in a long time," athletic director Ben Jay said. "Obviously, the success of this season bodes well for the future for Laura (Beeman) and the team."
Women’s basketball has never come close to breaking even at UH, or most of the 349 schools that compete on the Division I level. At UH, expenses out-pace revenue by more than $450,000 and, in some years by nearly $600,000.
Meanwhile men’s basketball, despite early-season controversy, had a turnstile average of 4,055 and took in $905,123 in ticket revenue.
That was under an ambitious revenue goal of $1,040,000 but could still out-pace expenses.
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