LMU’s Women’s sports are better than the division one men’s sports on campus, and there’s no easier way to frame it. Women’s Sports Are Outperforming Men’s Athletics and the investment should reflect that.
For years, LMU has invested a great amount of time building the athletic department to be at the Division One level it is at today. LMU has made extremely drastic financial decisions like cutting other D1 sports on campus and unfair wages across the women’s sport all for the benefit of men’s sports. They have done so by pouring resources into the men’s athletics through coaching salaries, recruiting budgets, facility upgrades and promotional initiatives to mold the programs they have today for every individual athlete, coach, and game.
Yet, when putting the statistics and financial discrepancies in comparison the actual plays, and scores say otherwise, regarding men and women’s sports. From championships, conference standings, postseason appearances and even recent performance, the division one women’s sports have often delivered stronger results than the division one male sports. If winning is the typical standard professional teams are judged by to measure its credibility, agility, and wellness in the profession, LMU’s sport stats say that the division one women’s teams should be earning far more recognition and investment than what they are currently receiving. And even men’s sports on campus.
The disparity begins with the money.
According to Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act data shows, men’s sports generated approximately $15.9 million in revenue compared to $15.0 million for women’s sports, a difference of about $850,000. Despite the gap in revenue generation, men’s programs continue to receive greater institutional investment.
The imbalance is predominantly seen in coaching salaries. Men’s head coaches at LMU earn an average salary of approximately $292,074, while women’s head coaches earn an average of just $157,887. Men’s basketball head coach Stan Johnson alone earned more than $1.2 million in total compensation during fiscal year 2024, making him the university’s highest-paid employee.
At the same time, women’s programs consistently produce extremely positive results, winning major sporting competitions, championships, and game plays.
Women’s basketball is a prime example. During the 2025-26 season, the Lions finished 21-10 overall and 15-3 in West Coast Conference play. They won the outright WCC regular-season championship, compiled a nine-game winning streak and finished the year ranked No. 25 nationally. The title marked the program’s second conference championship, adding to its historic 2003-04 championship season. Meanwhile, the men’s basketball team finished the 2025-26 season with a 15-17 overall record and a 6-12 conference record. Despite receiving some of the largest athletic investments on campus. The program has struggled to produce results that match the success of the women’s team. And yet more people would still rather show up to watch LMU men’s basketball games than women’s games which average about 705 fans per game.
These patterns are evident and consistent not only seen in basketball but also appearing in soccer. The women’s soccer team currently holds five wins, five losses, and three draws (5-5-3) overall record. And an impressive four wins, zero losses, and one tie (4-0-1) for their conference record. The men’s soccer team sits at two wins, eight losses, and three ties (2-8-3) overall and just one win, four losses, and one tie (1-4-1) in conference play.
Results don’t get better from here, the same pattern exists even on the tennis courts. LMU men’s tennis has never won a West Coast Conference championship. Meanwhile, women’s tennis captured a conference title in 2002 and has reached the NCAA Tournament twice.
Softball and baseball tell a similar story. LMU softball has won eight conference championships and two national postseason tournament titles. The men’s division on the other hand has never won a national championship, they have only reached the College World Series just once, in 1986.
Women’s water polo has also established itself as one of the university’s most successful programs. The team has won 13 conference championships, including recent Golden Coast Conference titles. Even though this sport has existed for three decades at LMU, the Men’s water polo has only eight conference championships.
Across nearly every comparable sport, women’s teams have produced stronger athletes and championship outcomes over the men’s programs. And yet the investment gap still remains.
A 2015 investigation by The Loyolan found that women’s sports generated approximately $7.9 million in revenue compared to $7.2 million for men’s sports. Despite generating more revenue, women’s programs received less funding for coaching salaries and recruiting. More than a decade later, the same underlying question remains: Why do men’s programs continue receiving greater resources when women’s teams keep producing and delivering superior results?
The results in itself suggest that women’s sports are doing more for LMU economically and statistically by generating more of the money and success somehow without the equal funding. And yet they are over performing with less.
Women’s teams are winning their conference championships. They are earning NCAA Tournament appearances. They are securing national rankings. They are building and setting the tone for future undergrads and powerful legacies for alumni all while operating under a system that continues to prioritize men’s athletics financially, completely disregarding the women’s hard work.
This is not an argument against men’s sports. Every student-athlete at LMU deserves support and opportunities for success. However, this says more about LMU’s ethical and moral imbalance and priorities towards equality for students on campus. Women’s teams shouldn’t have to prove their value to even be considered on the same level, when they are competing in the same competition. Instead it becomes a fight of equal rights, fairness, and women empowerment.
The real issue is not whether LMU women’s sports deserve greater investment. It’s why they continue to outperform men’s athletics while receiving less of it. Next time you decide to go support the athletic department, and catch a home game think about supporting our division one women leagues too.
