2024 Women’s March Madness tournament brings new hype to women’s sports

The Women’s Basketball NCAA Tournament just wrapped up, and it had quite the historic season. For years, March Madness has been associated with the men’s tournament and friends asking if you made your bracket yet or who is going to upset who. Very little conversation and media coverage was given to the women’s tournament. Thankfully, that has begun to change.

With prominent players like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese helping to take the women’s game and women’s sports to a new level, it has been inspirational and exciting to see what has happened as a result.

The Iowa-LSU game in the Elite Eight averaged 12.3 million viewers, which was more than every women’s college basketball game ever, every ESPN college basketball game ever, every MLB game last season, every NHL game last season, every NBA game last season except one and every CFB regular season game last season except one. This statistic alone shows how dominant women’s sports, especially basketball, can be when given the platform.

Additionally, the UConn-Iowa game in the Final Four had, at most, 17 million viewers. This is more than every NBA Finals game in the last four years, every World Series game in the last four years, every tennis grand slam final for both women and men and any basketball game ever on ESPN. To cap it all off, the National Championship game between Iowa and South Carolina had 18.7 million viewers but peaked at 24.7 million. This was an 89% increase from the 2023 National Championship game and a 285% increase from 2022. ESPN also said this was the most-watched basketball game for men or women, college or pro, since 2019.

I believe the rise in popularity of the women’s tournament from last year to this year is due to many standout players and the increased media coverage. In the fall, Nebraska volleyball played in their football stadium, drawing over 93,000 fans. In October, the Iowa basketball team had an exhibition game against DePaul in the Hawkeyes football stadium. That game drew over 55,000 fans.

When given the chance to play on a big stage, women’s sports have proven they will deliver. More games are being aired on television, which has definitely helped elevate the women’s game.

I have often heard the argument that women’s sports don’t draw in as much money or interest as men’s sports; therefore, their games aren’t put on the big networks. However, this is clearly not the case. Women have shown that they deserve to have games on television. The problem before was that women’s sports were never given this opportunity.

Additionally, crowds are always drawn to watch talented, standout players, so when a player like this shows up, people are going to flock to see them.

This year that player was Caitlin Clark, but there are and have been many other influential women paving the way for women’s basketball, which has helped it achieve the popularity it now has. Not that long ago, women’s basketball wasn’t drawing large audiences, but now mothers are bringing their sons to women’s games.

These examples of interest and popularity in women’s sports shouldn’t just stop at basketball. Women’s sports in general should be covered as much as the men’s teams.

Women’s sports are just as entertaining and important to watch as their male counterparts, and this year has proven how dominating women’s sports can be.