WBB: 2024 NCAA Tournament

[Husker03]

  Women's sports in recent years has improved quite a bit to actually be somewhat entertaining.  Previous to that, it was not watchable. 

Agree! Gets a bad wrap because it was so bad in the early days, but again, women didn't even have access to reasonable high school team representation until the 80's. Also, if we are being fair, the men's game was pretty clunky back in the 70's and 80's as well. But I digress. For years you had very few women even try out. Then more tried out, then enough tried out that some got cut. Then enough tried out that a lot got cut. Then you started having the best of the best rise to the top. Then you had the up and comers start watching and emulating the best of the best which takes it up another level.  Then you have the phenomenal athletes playing sports they've spent 15 years honing skills in.

People have always loved to watch the Nancy Kerrigans, Mary Lou Rettons, Jacky Joyner Kerseys of the world. Sports fans appreciate well played competition.  We are seeing that now in many women's sports, there is just no reason to assume they can't attract viewership when given a chance to shine.

 

[ECisGod]

Also, if we are being fair, the men's game was pretty clunky back in the 70's and 80's as well.

That's one of the reasons I compared current college women's basketball to the men's game in the late 70's/early 80's.

There is more depth of talent in the women's game than a decade ago, but there isn't enough to get many upsets in the big dance.

 

[Husker03]

There is more depth of talent in the women's game than a decade ago, but there isn't enough to get many upsets in the big dance.

I would bet NIL will change that as well. If there is one thing Clark, Reese, Beukers, etc showed this year is that women are marketable in that arena as well. One NIL dollars become more significant across the board, the women will be jumping ship to the highest bidders as well and parity will ensue.

 

[ECisGod]

I would bet NIL will change that as well. If there is one thing Clark, Reese, Beukers, etc showed this year is that women are marketable in that arena as well. One NIL dollars become more significant across the board, the women will be jumping ship to the highest bidders as well and parity will ensue.

There might end up being more parity between the power conference teams, but teams from smaller conferences will end up losing players just like on the men's side.