Yahoo Sports NCAA will pay women's basketball teams that participate in March Madness tournament starting in 2025
NCAA members unanimously voted to introduce financial rewards — as it has for years with the men's tournament — starting this spring
Starting this year, the NCAA women's basketball tournament will feature financial rewards in a historic show of equity, the NCAA announced Wednesday. At the NCAA convention in Nashville, NCAA Division I membership unanimously voted to introduce two women's basketball funds to the tournament. The vote was met with a round of applause.
Schools participating and winning in March Madness will earn "performance units" in a structure similar to the one used for years in the men's tournament. The units, which represent revenue earned, will first be available to earn at the 2025 tournament; the financial rewards from this spring will be distributed in 2026 directly to the schools' conferences.
The proposal has now formally passed and is final - a historic moment in NCAA history.
Final vote breakdown is unanimous 292-0 and draws applause from the room. The first vote, I believe, was for it to be immediately implemented this year. https://t.co/tmVxd80ZLO— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 15, 2025
The move represents the growth of women's basketball over the past few years, with the NCAA pushing to create greater equity between the men's and women's games. The "March Madness" branding, which for years was exclusive to the men's tournament, was added to the women's tournament in 2022 as a further indicator of equality.
Last January, ESPN and the NCAA reached a massive eight-year, $920 million media deal to give the network the long-term rights to the women's tournament. That deal is part of what prompted the conversation about revenue units in women's basketball in the first place.
Per the NCAA's statement, funding for the two distribution categories — the Women's Basketball Equal Conference Fund and Women's Basketball Performance Fund — was approved by the NCAA Board of Governors last summer.
The funds will start at $15 million total for this spring, and will increase by $5 million each year over the next two years, reaching $25 million in the 2027-28 season. From there, per the NCAA, the funds will grow at the same rate as other Division I funds, at around 2.9% per year. Performance units will be paid out on a rolling three-year basis.
Per the Associated Press, a team that reaches the Final Four this spring could bring in around $1.26 million, paid out to its conference.
In a statement, NCAA president Charlie Baker called it "a historic day" as the measure was passed.
"We have made investing in women's sports a priority, and today's vote means our members have the opportunity to do even more on campus to promote and support female athletes. I can't wait to see all the incredible things they do," Baker said.
March Madness on the women's side kicks off with Selection Sunday on March 16, followed by the First Four round on March 19-20. The tournament will culminate with the NCAA championship game on April 6 in Tampa.
