Investigation into gender disparities finds NCAA 'significantly' undervalues women's basketball

A report released Tuesday by a law firm hired by the NCAA to investigate gender disparities among the governing body's championship events found that the NCAA "prioritizes men’s basketball, contributing to gender inequity," and that internal support systems and television contracts contribute to the NCAA "significantly undervaluing women’s basketball as an asset."

The report comes after social-media posts outlined the differences between the treatment of athletes at the men's and women's NCAA tournaments, with teams at the men's tournament given better food, workout areas, recreation space and gifts compared to their counterparts in the women's bracket.

Among the conclusions made by Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP, which specializes in employment and discrimination matters, including Title IX and gender equity cases, was that the NCAA's model for revenue distribution "prioritizes and rewards investment in men’s basketball," impacting the experience for student-athletes in women's sports. 

The NCAA should "maximize value through gender equity in marketing, promotion, and sponsorships," the report said, by marketing the women's tournament as a "stand-alone property" and using the term "March Madness" in conjunction with both the men's and women's championships. Also, the NCAA should consider holding the men's and women's Final Four in the same location, the firm concluded.

"The primary reason, we believe, is that the gender inequities at the NCAA — and specifically within the NCAA Division I basketball championships — stem from the structure and systems of the NCAA itself, which are designed to maximize the value of and support to the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship as the primary source of funding for the NCAA and its membership," the report found.

OPINION:Eyes don't deceive: NCAA women's tournament doesn't get equal treatment

Among the other suggestions made by the firm include changes to the current leadership structure around men's and women's basketball; increased gender equity in basketball staffing; greater communication between the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees and Basketball Oversight Committees; and "a real-time gender equity audit of the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships as they are being planned and executed each year."

"Many of the issues identified in this review — and some of the recommendations put forward — are not new," the report said. "Efforts to resolve gender equity issues in the NCAA have percolated at various times over the past 20 years or more."

In response, the NCAA Board of Governors — the highest governance body in the organization — said it was "wholly committed to an equitable experience among its championships."

"We know that has not always been the case and the instance of the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship is an important impetus for us to improve our championship experience so it is not repeated. This report provides useful guidance to improve our championships," the group said. 

"We have directed the NCAA president to act urgently to address any organizational issues. We have also called him to begin work this week with the three divisions and appropriate committees to outline next steps, develop recommendations and effectuate change. We will continue to review and process the recommendations in the gender equity report as we move forward to strengthen championships for all student-athletes.” 

The report follows a letter sent on July 7 by Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) to NCAA president Mark Emmert requesting documents and information on the unequal treatment of men's and women's athletes at events and championship programs conducted by the NCAA.

"Today’s damning report details glaring disparities in NCAA’s treatment of men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletics. The report’s findings will come as no surprise to the thousands of student-athletes and coaches who have experienced NCAA’s gender-based discrimination," the Members said in a statement.

“This is just the latest review to find grievous gender inequities within NCAA athletics.  We are releasing documents showing that for decades, NCAA has known about these issues and has ignored recommendations similar to those issued today. NCAA must show its commitment to gender equity with actions — not just words. We will continue to conduct oversight to ensure NCAA undertakes strong, swift, and meaningful steps to address its longstanding failures.”

“We strongly encourage those with relevant information about NCAA’s disparate gender practices, including administrators, coaches, and student-athletes, to contact the Committee to share their experiences.”

The controversy around the different experiences for the 2021 men's and women's basketball tournaments erupted when pictures of the women's workout room in San Antonio were posted on social media. Only a rack of weights was available to the women, while the men in Indianapolis had several areas for lifting.

The NCAA was also criticized over different quality of gifts and food, and because the COVID-19 tests administered to men's participants were daily PCR tests, considered more accurate, compared to the less-accurate daily antigen testing available to teams in the women's tournament.

"It is beyond dispute that there were significant disparities between the 2021 Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships," said the report.

The disparities in treatment "demand attention and in many cases swift corrective action," said National Association of Basketball Coaches Executive Director Craig Robinson. Encouragingly, the report also details many tangible recommendations that would elevate women’s basketball and the experiences of both women’s and men’s student-athletes, and we believe they are deserving of open-minded assessment. The NABC is an unquestioned ally for our colleagues in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and women’s basketball student-athletes. We also remain committed to advancing our strategic goal of furthering collaboration between the NABC and WBCA.”

Complaints about differing championship experiences arose two months later during the Women's College World Series, which took place at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. While the facility expanded its capacity to 13,000 for this year's event, there were still no showers in locker rooms.

The schedule also was criticized after an elimination game between Oklahoma State and Florida State started around midnight due to rain delays instead of being pushed to another day. Further delays forced the final game of the championship series between Oklahoma and Florida State to be moved to an afternoon start instead of prime time.

Even with all the adjustments, the WCWS outdrew baseball's College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, which is played in a minor league stadium with nicer amenities for fans and players.