Last Updated on August 7, 2024
The Division I Board of Directors has unanimously approved a proposal that could significantly alter the financial landscape for women’s college basketball programs. If ratified by Division I members in January, this initiative would introduce monetary rewards for teams participating in the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, commencing with the 2025 tournament, as has been done for the men’s tournament for years.
The proposal outlines the creation of two new funds: the Women’s Basketball Equal Conference Fund and the Women’s Basketball Performance Fund. These funds are modeled after the existing distribution structure associated with the Division I men’s tournament. The proposal is slated for a vote at the NCAA Convention in Nashville this January.
If approved, the implementation would begin with the 2025 Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, with financial distributions to conference offices starting in 2026. The payouts would be based on a rolling three-year performance metric.
Houston Davis, president of Central Arkansas and chair of the Division I Board of Directors Finance Committee, stated: “This is a momentous day, and the Division I Board of Directors Finance Committee is proud to have led the efforts that brought us to the introduction of this proposal.” He added, “If approved in January, these funds will again advance the NCAA’s efforts to support gender equity and continue investment in the sport of women’s basketball.”
The proposed funds would follow a phased implementation: $15 million in the 2025-26 fiscal year, increasing to $20 million in 2026-27, and reaching $25 million in 2027-28. Subsequently, the funds would grow at an annual rate of approximately 2.9%, consistent with other Division I funds.
It’s important to note that the establishment of these women’s basketball funds would represent additional distributions to Division I schools. As such, the NCAA Board of Governors must approve the allocation of Association-wide dollars for this purpose. The Board of Governors is scheduled to convene on Thursday to address this matter.
This proposal represents a potential significant step towards financial parity in collegiate basketball, aligning more closely with the established model of the men’s tournament.
