NCAA to expand March Madness branding to women’s basketball

Next year, the NCAA will use “March Madness” branding for the Division I women’s basketball tournament after years of reserving it exclusively for the men’s tournament.

“Women’s basketball has grown tremendously over the past several years, and we remain focused on our priority of enhancing and growing the game,” Lynn Holzman, the NCAA’s vice president of women’s basketball, said in a press release on Wednesday.

“The brand recognition that March Madness carries will broaden marketing opportunities as we continue that work to elevate the women’s basketball championship,” she added. 

The change comes after the findings of an external review showed vast inequities between the handling of the men’s teams and women’s teams. 

The NCAA’s gender equity report released in August recommended that the “Women’s Basketball” logo on the courts during the tournament be replaced with the widely recognized “March Madness” logo.

The review was prompted by the visible disparities between the men’s extensive weight room and a much smaller setup for the women — which garnered widespread attention when a University of Oregon player’s TikTok video went viral earlier this year. 

@sedonerrr

it’s 2021 and we are still fighting for bits and pieces of equality. #ncaa #inequality #fightforchange

♬ original sound – Sedona Prince

At the time, professional basketball players, including Sue Bird, have voiced disappointment in the NCAA’s lack of equality. 

I can’t. https://t.co/kXLarEkqTV

— Sue Bird (@S10Bird) March 18, 2021

The release also said that the NCAA’s Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees and Men’s and Women’s Basketball Oversight Committees would conduct “regular joint meetings” in an effort to ensure more collaboration.