By: Jada James, W*SS Social Work Intern
The 2023 March Madness Women’s basketball tournament brought us standout players, coaches, and matchups that the tournament's popularity was built on. Women saw constant increases in tv ratings, with the eagerness of viewers transferring to ticket sales. According to Yahoo Sports (2023), during the Final Four, there was a stark difference in ticket prices between men's and women’s basketball. On StubHub, the cheapest ticket for a Final Four women’s game was around $400, while the cheapest men’s tickets were $40. The final, held on Sunday, April 2nd, involved the explosive championship matchup between Louisiana State University (LSU) and Iowa. Players, such as LSU’s Angel Reese, also known as the Bayou Barbie, shined during the tournament. She was crowned Most Outstanding Player, after LSU’s 102-85 win over Iowa. Reese has 17 NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals, more than any other player in college basketball, according to a report from Just Women’s Sports (2023). Iowa’s star player, Caitlin Clark, was banking 3’s all night. Earlier in the tournament, Clark set the record for a 40-point triple-double in NCAA men’s and women’s history in Iowa v. Louisville. LSU’s coach, Kim Mulkey, is amongst the most recognized in the NCAA, leading multiple NCAA women’s teams to championships.
These women have risen to success despite the systemic barriers in NCAA basketball, and in women’s sports generally. Historically, women have to prevail (despite gender inequities), instead of being given equal opportunity. 2024 will be the year, Title IX turns 52. Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in education settings receiving federal funding. Title IX set the standard for women to receive equal opportunities in collegiate sports. The NCAA still has a long way to go to confront present gender inequities in women and men’s basketball. In 2024, the NCAA will have an opportunity to make a monumental decision to give women’s basketball its own broadcast rights. The decision will greatly impact future generations of women college athletes.
You will notice in the beginning of this post, I called it “The March Madness Women’s Basketball Tournament.” I have chosen to highlight “The March Madness Women’s Basketball Tournament” because the NCAA did not allow the women’s tournament to officially use the “March Madness” moniker until 2022. Before this, the women’s tournament was commercialized by its given name “women’s tournament.” Previously, the March Madness umbrella was for the sole use of the men’s tournament.
The allotment of the women’s tournament under the March Madness umbrella came after the 2021 NCAA hired a law firm to conduct a report on gender inequities within the NCAA. The report found that the NCAA “prioritizes and rewards investment in men’s basketball”, according to USA Today (2021). For example, NCAA men’s basketball and football both have separate broadcast rights deals, while the women’s basketball broadcast rights are bundled in a contract with other NCAA sports in a deal worth $34 million. The report concluded that the deal severely undervalues women’s basketball broadcast rights. In 2025, women’s basketball broadcast rights could be worth $81 to $112 million (AP News, 2021). This year’s tournament has proven itself with increasing ratings. Tournament games like Iowa v. Louisville averaged 2.5 million viewers, which was more than any NBA game averaged all season (Jezebel, 2023). The $34 million contract expires in 2024 and will allow the NCAA to decide to give women’s basketball its own media rights contract like its men's counterparts. 2024 will reveal the truth of the NCAA's intentions to fix gender inequities. Will they give women's basketball its financial worth or just offer name changes?
Sources:
Feinberg, D., & Hunzinger, E. (2021, October 26). Second NCAA gender equity report shows spending disparities. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/sports-college-sports-basketball-college-basketball-womens-college-basketball-64de02a3a7d3445ed73465c7c668317d
Greenawalt, T. (2023, March 30). March Madness: Why women;s Final Four tickets cost more than men’s tickets. Yahoo Sports. https://sports.yahoo.com/march-madness-why-womens-final-four-tickets-cost-more-than-mens-tickets-181244443.html
Leibert, E. (2023, March 29). Women’s March Madness Game Destroys NBA’s Rating. Jezebel. https://jezebel.com/womens-march-madness-game-destroys-nbas-ratings-1850278683
Myerberg, P. (2021, September 29). NCAA will use ‘March Madness’ branding for women’s basketball tournament. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2021/09/29/ncaa-assigns-march-madness-branding-womens-basketball-tournament/5914857001/
Yanchulis, K. (2023, March 22). Angel Reese leads men’s and women’s college basketball in NIL deals. Just Women’s Sports. https://justwomenssports.com/reads/angel-reese-lsu-womens-basketball-nil-ncaa-tour
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