The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has unanimously voted to introduce financial rewards for participating women’s basketball teams in the upcoming March Madness tournament, starting from the 2025 season. The move marks a significant step towards greater equity between men’s and women’s games.
Schools participating in and winning the tournament will earn “performance units” similar to those used in the men’s tournament. These units represent revenue earned by the schools and will be available for earning at the 2025 tournament, with financial rewards distributed to conferences starting from this spring. The proposal has passed unanimously, with a final vote of 292-0.
The introduction of performance units is part of the NCAA’s efforts to create greater equity between men’s and women’s games. The move comes after ESPN and the NCAA reached an eight-year, $920 million media deal to give the network long-term rights to the women’s tournament in 2022. This deal has prompted discussions about revenue units in women’s basketball.
The funding for two distribution categories – the Women’s Basketball Equal Conference Fund and Women’s Basketball Performance Fund – was approved by the NCAA Board of Governors last summer, with initial funding starting at $15 million, increasing to $25 million in the 2027-28 season. The funds will grow at a rate similar to other Division I funds.
Performance units will be paid out on a rolling three-year basis, and a team that reaches the Final Four this spring could earn around $1.26 million, distributed to its conference. NCAA president Charlie Baker hailed the measure as a “historic day,” saying it marks an investment in women’s sports and opportunities for female athletes.
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa-introduces-womens-basketball-tournament-march-madness-performance-units-230955420.html