NCAA Moves To Equal Support, Branding For Men’s-Women’s March Madness

By Barry Janoff

September 29, 2021: Calling it “one of the first steps to achieving greater equity between the women's and men's championships,” the NCAA said today that the Div. I Women's Basketball Championship would use March Madness marketing and branding, previously reserved for the men's tournament, beginning with the 2022 tournament.

The NCAA said that was one of the recommendations “from a comprehensive external review of gender equity issues in connection with NCAA championships, including issues that arose during the 2021 Div. I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships.

The Women's Div. I Final Four and championship game will be played in Target Center, Minneapolis, April 1-3, 2022 (ESPN).

The Men’s Div. I Final Four and championship game is scheduled for the Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, April 2-4, 2022 (TBS).

Members of the Div. I Women's Basketball Oversight Committee “expressed their desire for substantial changes after the gender equity report on basketball championships was released Aug. 3,” according to the NCAA.

The Div. I Council in August assigned committees within the NCAA structure to evaluate recommendations from the gender equity report that fall under those committees' purview. The NCAA said those membership-led committees “meet regularly and have begun assessing the viability and practicality of implementing the recommendations.”

"Women's basketball has grown tremendously over the past several years, and we remain focused on our priority of enhancing and growing the game," Lynn Holzman, vp-women's basketball, said via the NCAA.

"The brand recognition that March Madness carries will broaden marketing opportunities as we continue that work to elevate the women's basketball championship.

Details of how the March Madness brand will be incorporated into the Div. I women's basketball tournament are still being developed.

In another decision, the NCAA said it has implemented a “zero-based budgeting method for the two championships.

“Instead of adjusting budgets from the previous fiscal year, the men's and women's basketball championships staffs are starting from scratch in determining budgeting expenses, which must be justified and approved for each new period.”

That move is “designed to show where justifiable differences in the allocation of championship financial resources exist and are appropriate, with an eye toward increasing opportunities for planning collaboration and cross-promotion, as well as making the two championships more financially equitable,” according to the NCAA.

During March Madness earlier this year, the NCAA made news for the wrong reasons when women playing in the Div. I hoops tournament in the San Antonio bubble brought to light the discrepancies between their amenities and those afforded male athletes who were part of the Div. I hoops tournament in Indianapolis.

Among the biggest issues shared by the women were inadequate weight training facilities and the food quality in their hotels.

During a virtual media conference call at that time, Holzman addressed the issues raised by the student-athletes participating in the 2021 tournament.

“As a former women’s basketball student-athlete, it’s always been my priority to make this event the best possible experience for everyone involved,” Holzman said. “We fell short this year in what we’ve been doing to prepare in the past 60 days for 64 teams to be here in San Antonio.”

During the media call, Dan Gavitt, NCAA svp-basketball, also acknowledged the discrepancies.

“We have intentionally organized basketball under one umbrella [at the NCAA] to ensure consistency and collaboration. When we fall short on these expectations, it’s on me,” Gavitt said.

“I apologize to women’s basketball student-athletes, coaches and the women’s basketball committee for dropping the ball on the weight rooms in San Antonio.”

Now, the NCAA said the committee “unanimously supported women's basketball adding the March Madness brand and sees this decision as one of the first steps to achieving greater equity between the women's and men's championships.”

"This is just the start when it comes to improving gender equity in the way the two Division I basketball championships are conducted," Lisa Campos, chair of the NCAA Div. I Women's Basketball Oversight Committee and director of athletics at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said via the NCAA.

"Adding the March Madness trademark to the Division I Women's Basketball Championship will enhance the development and public perception of the sport, and the oversight committee looks forward to its work to address other recommendations through the governance structure to continue those efforts."

The NCAA said the Men's and Women's Basketball Committees and Men's and Women's Basketball Oversight Committees are conducting regular joint meetings to better collaborate and ensure alignment between the two championships.

Following Complaints, NCAA Initiates Inquiry Into Match Madness Issues

Back to Home Page