For years, March Madness has represented the excitement, skill, and unpredictability of men's college basketball. This year, for the first time, the hype will apply to both the Men's and Women's Tournaments. After backlash from the 2021 Championships, the NCAA has made a complete 180 to create a platform of gender equity in this highly anticipated tradition.

Despite the NCAA's equity and inclusion statement and the passage of Title IX 50 years ago, the distribution of resources during last year's basketball “bubbles” that the athletes had to live in during the tournaments were anything but equal. From basic aspects of living, including meals and rooms, to the health and safety of players, to marketing and promotion of the tournament, the differences between the men's and women's teams were extensive and glaring. 

The disrespect shown to the women prompted University of Notre Dame Head Coach Muffet McGraw to tweet that she was at a “JV tournament.”

It was not until Sedona Prince set the internet on fire with a viral Tik Tok of the women's training facility that the NCAA was publicly questioned about their unequal distribution of resources

Related: College Athlete Tik Tokkers You Should Be Following

Unlike previous fights for equality, this one was undisputable. Social media made the inequities visible and shared mutual disbelief within minutes. Headlined by the star power of Stephen Curry, Billie Jean King, and Sabrina Ionescu, the political power of Kirsten Gillibrand and the monetary power of companies such as Orangetheory Fitness, DICK's Sporting Goods, and Tonal, the NCAA faced widespread backlash.  

Forced to act, the NCAA hired the law firm Kaplan, Hecker & Fink to perform an external analysis of the basketball championships and provide recommendations on how to increase equity within the sport. The findings led to a series of NCAA policy changes. 

Related: How Title IX Fails Female Athletes

1. Equal Amenities
First and foremost, the players at both tournaments will receive the same amenities. In order to ensure equality, the NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt says they have “taken every budget line for men's and women's basketball championships and compared and contrasted them. Where there have been discrepancies, we've had significant discussions about the equity standpoint. In many cases, they've been adjusted to the tune of millions of dollars.” Female players will now have the same swag bags, same tournament gifts for participating in each round, and first-time access to a players' lounge and family lounge, a luxury the men had for years. 

2. Same Amount of Teams and Play-In Games
The women's tournament has been expanded to a field of 68-teams and will include “First Four” play-in games for the first time in its 40-year history. 

3. Equitable Marketing and Promotion
Most importantly, the marketing and promotion of the tournaments has become more equitable. Starting this year, the March Madness and Final Four trademarks will be used at both the men's and women's basketball tournaments and on social media platforms. The Men's Final Four and Women's Final Four will have identical logos apart from their distinctive colors, the former in gray and the latter in orange. The NCAA is also decorating downtown Minneapolis, home of the Women's Final Four, with 3D brackets and giant inflatable trophies to enliven the fan experience. 

In light of the NCAA's recent actions, Sedona Prince told The Associated Press, “Making those changes is incredible, and I hope it continues to be that way, and not just from a massive scandal, and a player exposing them on a national stage,” she told The Associated Press, “Things shouldn't be fixed that way.”

Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities, and Campus Visits

What's Next?
There is still a lot more work to be done to achieve gender equity within the NCAA. The association's broadcasting deals and incentive structure heavily favor the promotion of Men's Basketball. Currently, CBS/Turner controls the sponsorship rights for all NCAA championships, but the broadcasting rights for only men's basketball. CBS/Turner are therefore incentivized to sponsor and promote the championship they broadcast over the ones they don't. This means that companies have to pay more for women's basketball because ESPN has broadcasting rights, not CBS. 

Through its contract with CBS/Turner, the NCAA garners power and $1.1 billion annually. Again, the NCAA prioritizes the men by redistributing this revenue across the best-performing DI men's basketball programs. As a result, universities are more inclined to allocate their resources and funds to men's programs and not women's. 

Related: NCAA Constitutional Convention Update

Changes outside the NCAA
In addition to the work of the NCAA, companies such as Degree have launched NIL and March Madness campaigns to support the growth of women's basketball. The Bracket Gap Challenge supports female athletes and creates a financial incentive for individuals to participate in the Women's Tournament. 

“Something as little and simple as filling out a women's bracket will bring about more attention, more visibility, and more opportunities for these deserving women.”

Candace Parker, WNBA superstar, two-time NCAA champion, and spokeswoman for Degree

The NCAA is motivated by money. To create true equality in college basketball, there must be strong viewership, engagement, and interest in the women's game. So this March, make sure to fill out a bracket for both tournaments and support female athletes. 

Have an idea for a story or a question you need answered? Want to set up an interview with us? Email us at [email protected]

* Originally published on March 15, 2022, by Chloe Singer