NCAA moving toward providing financial incentives for women’s basketball teams advancing to March Madness

Women’s basketball teams in the NCAA Tournament could soon start receiving financial incentives for their success. The Division I Board of Directors is anticipated to propose a plan to award performance units to teams participating in March Madness. These units represent revenue generated by the tournament.

NCAA President Charlie Baker mentioned that the finance committees have approved the creation of a units program for the women’s tournament. A final vote by Division I members is set for January, with the potential implementation of financial rewards starting from the 2025 tournament.

Unlike the men’s tournament, where revenue sharing has been common, the women’s tournament has lacked a similar system, drawing criticism. The recent media rights deal with ESPN, valuing women’s basketball at $65 million per tournament, has played a significant role in advancing this proposal.

The women’s March Madness plan is expected to align closely with the men’s program, where teams receive a set amount of revenue for making the tournament, with additional units granted for advancing further. Conferences determine how unit revenue is distributed amongst their members. For the 2023 men’s tournament, each unit was valued at around $2 million.

While men’s tournament units are paid out over six years, leaders may opt for a different approach for the women’s event, possibly distributing units over a shorter period to increase their value. The success of the women’s tournament, including record viewership and attendance, has highlighted the growing interest in women’s basketball.

Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico sees this development as a sign of the game’s growth and the positive impact of investing in women’s basketball. With this potential change, women’s basketball teams could soon benefit financially from their achievements in the NCAA Tournament, similar to their male counterparts.