Spinning March Madness – NCAA Adjusts Marketing Scheme

Spinning March Madness

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Jim Quist @ACCTheQ –

Many have accused the NCAA of sitting on their hands in areas of college sports. But when it comes to tweaking things, such as rules they are usually several steps ahead of their detractors. The brain trust in Indianapolis are always looking for new ways to improve. From the games to officiating and how to turn a proverbial buck. Now the powers that be have found a new way of spinning March Madness. It’s a simple adjustment but one that will do a couple of very obvious things. Save money, make more money and further shore up, and deservedly so, women’s college basketball. One change is nearly immediate while the other will find it’s way to the floor in 2027.

The ‘nearly’ part kicks in next year when the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship will begin using the ‘March Madness’ marketing and branding. This move comes via an external review of gender equity issues. Members of the women’s basketball oversight committee unanimously supported the marketing move and see it as one of many steps toward achieving greater equity between the men’s and women’s tournaments.

Lisa Campos, chair of the committee and AD at Texas-San Antonio believes it will “enhance the development and public perception of the sport.”

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The NCAA has also implemented a zero-based budgeting method for both championships. What does this mean? Instead of adjusting based upon the previous budget both staffs will start the beginning in setting budgets which will need to be justified and approved annually.

Both the men’s and women’s basketball committees and oversight committees are holding joint meetings to help align goals.

Spinning March Madness

Now for the spinning March Madness adjustment that will have a substantial financial impact from top to bottom. Both basketball committees have been exploring holding the Final Fours in the same city. Just to be clear, there hasn’t been a decision to combine the Final Fours.

The list of Finals Fours through 2026.

  • Women’s Final Four
  • Minneapolis – 2022
  • Dallas – 2023
  • Cleveland – 2024
  • Tampa Bay – 2025
  • Phoenix – 2026
  • Men’s Final Four
  • New Orleans – 2022
  • Houston – 2023
  • Phoenix – 2024
  • San Antonio – 2025
  • Indianapolis – 2026

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“We are committed to continuing discussion about the concept of conducting both the women’s and men’s Final Fours in the same city”, said Nina King chair of the women’s committee and AD at Duke.

Host sites for the 2027-2031 cycle are expected to be announced by the fall of 2022.

Spinning March Madness