NCAA Gender Equity Report: Findings
On the 3rd of August, U.S law firm Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP published the findings from their external gender equity review of the NCAA basketball program. This review followed the video posted by University of Oregon basketball player Sedona Prince, revealing the disparities in facilities and weightlifting equipment provided for men and women at the March championships. The report sets out reforms to the NCAA basketball programs and outlines that it is the structure and systems of the NCAA that are the root of the gender inequality issue. It is the lack of processes available within the NCAA to address the issue that is contributing to the limits on the growth of women's basketball and perhaps women's sport more generally. Primarily, the report provides various recommendations for how the NCAA can address gender inequities in its programs.
The report found that there were extreme and systemic disparities between resources and services provided to female basketball players as compared to that of their male counterparts. This has contributed to the cultural attitude that women's sport is lesser than men's sport through the NCAA's prioritisation of men's sport. The findings of the report show that the broadcasting rights to the men's basketball championship and contract to sell the NCAA's corporate sponsor program with CBS is worth approximately $1.1 billion annually, whereas the broadcasting rights with ESPN for 29 NCAA championships, including the Div 1 women's basketball, is worth $34 million annually. This is, as the report establishes, a 'significant undervaluation' of women's basketball.
The most notable recommendations provided by the Firm include (1) increasing the marketing, promotion and sponsorships for women's basketball, in order to increase the actual and perceived value of women's basketball, including using 'March Madness' for both Div 1 Men's and Women's Championship's series;(2) holding men's and women's finals together in one city and that these events provide a equal experience for both genders; (3) increasing the number of participation opportunities for women in the NCAA basketball program(4); having the NCAA conduct annual assessments of its progress in tackling the gender inequality problem. The recommendations also included leadership restructuring throughout the association to allow for the systemic support of the recommendations in the report.
It is expected that a second report will be released later this year, covering the rest of the NCAA's championships scope. This follows complaints from women's volleyball and softball players about their status and conditions. Clearly, the NCAA has further steps to take to address the systemic inequality within its organisation.
If you are interested in learning more about the NCAA's external gender equity review, please see the full report here: [ https://ncaagenderequityreview.com ].