The second phase of the NCAA’s gender equity report was released on Tuesday night, with the report finding that the NCAA spends more money on men’s championships than it does women’s.
The report found that spending per Division I and national championship participants in the 2018-19 season, excluding basketball, was $4,285 for men versus $2,588 for women, marking a difference of $1,697 per student-athlete.
“The NCAA invests more — and in some instances considerably more — in those championships that it views as already or potentially revenue-producing, while minimizing spending for other championships,” the report said.
The report also found that combined championships, with both groups being present at one site, tend to fare better in terms of gender equity.
“We have seen that combining at least some portion of the men’s and women’s championship for a given sport enables more coordinated planning, increases equity in the goods and services, facilities, and resources provided at the championships and eliminates or reduces disparities between the ‘look and feel’ of the tournaments,'” the report continued.
According to the report, the NCAA also doesn’t have the infrastructure in place that encourages equal sponsorships at all championships. It estimated that ESPN is underpaying for the rights to 29 championships, “causing the association to lose out on substantial and crucial revenue.”
The firm also estimated that women’s basketball broadcast rights in 2025, in particular, would be worth $81 million to $112 million, which is significantly more than what the network currently gives the NCAA for all 29 championships.
The report also recommended that the NCAA get rid of gender modifiers in its branding of tournaments and championships as well as increase the number of senior staff in the championships structure to improve oversight of gender equity.