One needs to look no further than the court itself to see that the NCAA has failed to use its most powerful branding tool to promote the women's tournament: the trademark 'March Madness' logo, which graces center court for the men's games.

In 1976, the NCAA filed an unsuccessful lawsuit challenging the legality of Title IX, claiming that it should never apply to athletic programs.Īlthough the NCAA has supported women's sports as they have grown in popularity, there is no dispute that the NCAA has never given the women's side the same support it extends to the men. In the 1970s, the NCAA lobbied hard to restrict the application of Title IX to college athletics, ironically fearing that it would be a hardship on men's teams. In fact, the NCAA initially met Title IX with great resistance. Today, the NCAA proclaims on its website that it strives to establish 'an environment that is free of gender bias.' But its words do not consistently translate to meaningful action, and the NCAA has exploited this legal loophole for years. Smith, the NCAA publicly stated its commitment to voluntarily comply with Title IX's mandates, even though it is not legally required to do so. The protections provided by Title IX to shield student-athletes from this sort of disparate treatment do not apply to the NCAA. Yet it managed to round up enough photographers to publish thousands of photos of the opening games in the men's tournament. Rather than facilitate full access to the media in a year when coverage has already been stymied by the pandemic, the NCAA further cut costs by opting not to staff the women's tournament with any photographers for the first two rounds. Even the women's 'swag bags' were less impressive.

The women's teams were also receiving less reliable Covid-19 antigen tests, while the men's teams were receiving the gold standard PCR tests. In contrast to the option-rich buffets served in the men's bubble, the women were receiving small pre-packaged meals. The men's side, by comparison, more closely resembles the floor of Planet Fitness.Īs images of the weight facilities went viral on social media, other disturbing tidbits slowly came to light. The 'weight room' for these Division I athletes consisted of an embarrassing single stack of six pairs of weights and a handful of yoga mats piled on a folding table.

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