Dwarfed by Final Four rivals at the bank, Wichita State proves everything is equal on hardwood

Wichita State's Carl Hall (22) and teammates pose with the regional trophy after defeating Ohio State 70-66 in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (The Associated Press)

Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall signals that his team is headed to the Final Four it defeated Ohio State 70-66 in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (The Associated Press)

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.