• Loading stock data...
Thursday, September 18, 2025

NCAA Fails Again

  • The second phase of the NCAA’s gender equity review revealed that a similar culture permeates other sports including basketball..
  • There are problems with media rights, corporate sponsorship, marketing resources, and total investment.
Photo: Nebraska Athletics/Design: Alex Brooks

In August, the first phase of the NCAA Gender Equity Review found that inequalities were “baked into the very fabric” of the Division I basketball tournaments. 

Yesterday, the second phase revealed that a similar culture permeates other sports.

“For sports in which one championship is viewed as producing significantly more revenue than its gender counterpart, stark differences in spending and staffing emerge, leading to inequitable student-athlete experiences in those championships,” the report said. 

The NCAA only considers Division I baseball, men’s basketball, lacrosse, hockey, and wrestling “revenue-generating.” So it largely treats women’s sports athletes as second-class citizens.

  • The corporate sponsorship agreement “encourages uneven investment in championships.”
  • Women’s sports received fewer fan fests, less investment in signage, and smaller venues.
  • In 2018-19, the NCAA spent an average of $4,285 per men’s athlete but only $2,588 per women’s athlete outside of basketball — a difference of $1,697 per athlete. 

Even in women’s volleyball, where the NCAA spent about the same per athlete on both tournaments and provided marketing and larger venues to the women’s tournament, several issues materialized.

The media rights contract clearly undervalues other sports, too. It bundles 29 championships for an average of only $34 million a year. The first phase of the report found that women’s basketball media rights alone were worth millions more. 

One bit of good news? There’s apparently less inequality in Divisions II and III, where the governing body doesn’t consider any championship a moneymaker.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Baseball

NCAA Settles With Volunteer Baseball Coaches for $49 Million

A similar suit brought by volunteer coaches of other sports remains open.
Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) pursues Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025.

College Football Enters Week 3 Up 21% in TV Ratings

Total college football viewership across all networks is up big.
Mar 4, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks with Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., ahead of President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.

House Republicans Delay SCORE Act Vote Tentatively Planned for Next Week

They didn’t believe they had enough votes to pass the bill.
[Subscription Customers Only] Jul 9, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Real Madrid CF forward Kylian Mbappe (9) reacts after a semifinal match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium.

CVC Builds Out Sports Division Amid Crowded PE Market

The firm’s sports portfolio is reportedly worth $13.6 billion.

Featured Today

Adriunna Brown

Business Is Booming for WNBA’s Top Beauty Pros

A network of stylists is shaping how players look, feel, and perform.
Premier Lacrosse League
September 14, 2025

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
September 13, 2025

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
Sep 13, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (4) carries the football against South Florida Bulls cornerback Ben Knox (1) during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium.

NCAA Eliminates Spring Transfer Portal Window

The change is aimed at curbing the system of “unrestricted free agency.”
Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; New Mexico Lobos quarterback Jack Layne (2) reacts after his team scored a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl.
September 15, 2025

UCLA Paid New Mexico $1.2 Million for Friday’s Loss: Payout Game Tracker

The Bruins weren’t the only Power-4 school to lose a buy game and fire their coach.
Sep 13, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back AK Dear (0) tries to outrun Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) during the second half at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
September 16, 2025

Despite Vote Delay, SCORE Act Negotiations Continue on Capitol Hill

Political ad campaigns during college football Saturdays continue as well.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) looks to pass during the first quarter against the New Mexico Lobos at Rose Bowl.
September 15, 2025

UCLA-Tennessee QB Trade Has Been Painful So Far

Iamaleava abruptly left Tennessee for UCLA this past offseason.
September 14, 2025

College Football’s Costly Start for Virginia Tech, UCLA: Coaches Out

UCLA and Virginia Tech fire their coaches while Notre Dame slumps badly.
Jan 25, 2023; Langley, British Columbia, CAN; Highlights from the CHL Kubota Top Prospects game at the Langley Events Centre
September 10, 2025

NCAA Hockey Scouts Denied Passes for Crucial Recruiting League

The CHL won’t welcome scouts on passes: “It comes across as petty.”
Feb 17, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs guard Jalen Weaver (5) during the first half against the Boise State Broncos at ExtraMile Arena.
September 10, 2025

NCAA Bans 3 Basketball Players for Violating Betting Rules Last Season

The former San Jose State and Fresno State players have lost eligibility.