Team size (both number of players on scholarship and number of coaches) is smaller in basketball. Money can be concentrated on a small subset of individuals - both players and coaches, and they can have a larger impact, creating a larger return on investment. If you inject an additional 10 mil on MBB you can drastically improve roster and coaching staff. You could throw 10 mil on the football team and you may not add a significant number of wins. In football the difference between a 6-6 team and a 8-5 team is not that much, is that worth an additional 10 mil?