Women’s College Basketball Is Surpassing Men’s College Basketball in Popularity

By: Katelyn Stevens

2023 National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark and Iowa held an exhibition game in early October at Kinnick Stadium in front of 55,646 fans.

Angel Reese is no.8 on the top 10 list for NIL deals in the NCAA.

Dawn Staley signed a historic, trendsetting seven-year contract for $22.4 million back in 2021.

Women all over the world are being put in bigger positions for sports more than ever before– all they need is a stage and they will deliver. Due to the increasing attraction and interest taken from fans- women’s sports as a whole is taking over right before our eyes, but more specifically women’s college basketball. 

Women’s college basketball has had a surge in popularity in the past couple of years and it’s possible, in the popularity contest between men’s college basketball and women, women could be taking the lead. 

The coaches set the tone on and off the court. 

Look at Kim Mulkey. Her transition from Baylor to Baton Rouge was one of the biggest moves from a coach in women’s basketball history. Not only did she build up Baylor’s program into a powerhouse, which led to three national titles, she’s done it again at LSU.  No head coach in Division I men’s or women’s basketball history owns NCAA titles at two different schools. Rick Pitino did it at Kentucky and Louisville, but the 2013 title with the Cardinals was vacated due to NCAA rules violations.

LSU is now one of the most sought after colleges in the nation for women’s basketball. Top recruits are looking at LSU intensely to see if they want to be a Tiger and if they think Mulkey is the best coach for them. 

These coaches are passionate about these women they’re coaching. Mulkey and Staley aren’t foreign to stomping or giving any referee an earful when it comes to their girls. 

Carolina was an afterthought in the SEC, but every season since 2015, Staley and the Gamecocks have led the nation in attendance. 

“Women’s basketball is bursting at the seams,” Staley said in an interview. “It is a long time coming.”

Staley is not quiet when it comes to advocating for the sport she loves. She wants the NCAA and ESPN to bet on women, more specifically when it comes to negotiating deals for broadcasting women’s basketball just as much as they do for mens. 

Staley is shaking up the trajectory not only by advocating for her players and the sport, but she’s doing it as a Black woman in an industry that is overwhelmingly white. In 2021, GQ said “she is the most important Black woman in college basketball.” Being an insane player to becoming an even better coach- she’s an idol. 

The NCAA Women’s Tournament in 2022 had the most viewed championship game in almost 20 years, but this year’s tournament broke the ceiling. The overall tournament views was up 42% more than last year. That wasn’t the case on the men’s side. During the Elite Eight men’s games, views dropped by 14% compared to last season. The Ohio State and UConn Sweet 16 game was the most-viewed Sweet Sixteen women’s game on ESPN record. 

People are eager and yearning to watch highly competitive women play against one another and the numbers prove that. 

Clark and Reese, along with the incoming freshman that will be taking this year’s season by storm, are further proof of how women’s college basketball is leading the way. These college ballers are staying and putting on a show for their fanbase, they’re not so set on the league just yet.

Clark received a shoutout during the finals from Sue Bird saying Clark is a perfect combination of her and Diana Taurasi- that means something. 

As of early last month, 13,000 season tickets have been sold for the 2023-24 season for Iowa’s women’s basketball team. Not only is that almost double the amount of tickets the program sold last year, but it’s also 5,000 more than the men’s team has sold so far.   

Clark is 810 points away from tying Kelsey Plum’s NCAA record scoring 3,527 points when she played from 2013-2017. Hawkeye fans aren’t buying up those tickets for nothing, they are trying to witness history in the making. 

Men’s sports have always gotten the shine, but that’s why their views are either decreasing or plateauing- women are putting on show stoppers for their audiences. It’s no coincidence that stars like Lebron James, Shaq, Tom Brady and many more are making an effort and being diligent about showing up for these women. 

Like Caitlin Clark said, “If you’re not watching women’s sports, you’re truly missing out” after being named Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. 

Watch Reese and Clark, along with the freshman class as the  women’s college basketball season starts today . 

Dawn and Kim have received their new contract and this is because of the increasing respect, value and devotion that these coaches have put in not only for themselves but for these programs. 

Dawn Staley being the first multi-million coach