This week, the University of Kansas, Villanova University, the University of North Carolina and Duke University will play in the first Final Four to be held under the new world of “name, image and likeness,” or NIL, endorsements in college sports.
The four games played in downtown Indianapolis on Thursday drew about 32,610 total spectators throughout the day, split between afternoon and evening sessions that each featured two contests.
The early-round NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games, which will be played Thursday afternoon and evening and on Saturday, are expected to lure up to 40,000 people to Indianapolis.
The shrinking gap in average Graduation Success Rate was due to gains by Black players outpacing those by white players.
The letter faults the NCAA for failing to make several substantive changes—or simply commit to making the changes—recommended by the law firm it retained to conduct a review of its policies and procedures.
After qualifying for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament two years ago but not getting to play because of the pandemic, IUPUI is embracing another opportunity.
The American Gaming Association predicted that $3.1 billion will be wagered on this year’s tournament, a figure that includes legal bets as well as those placed with illegal bookies or offshore web sites.
College sports leaders are working to transform the top tier of NCAA athletics, from how Division I should be governed to what should be required of schools to compete at the highest level. And changing the NCAA could lead to changes in its crown jewel event—the Division I men’s college basketball tournament.
Purdue University (27-7) claimed a No. 3 seed while Indiana University and the University of Notre Dame squeaked into the First Four play-in round.
The expansion of the field, which was announced in November, is the most notable among a package of upgrades to the women’s event that the Indianapolis-based NCAA will unveil this month during the 40th anniversary of the women’s tournament.
Hoosiers For Good Inc. plans to partner with dozens of organizations across the state and help them connect with “community-minded athletes” at Indiana University to amplify fundraising, awareness and volunteerism efforts.
Having a combined Final Four was one of the recommendations from a report issued last August stemming from inequities between the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
It is the first step in a legal strategy that the group hopes will lead to free-market wages for athletes in the revenue-producing Division I sports, as well as leverage for those athletes to broker a collective bargaining agreement with the NCAA.
Staging all of March Madness in central Indiana, the NCAA was able to collect on its main source of revenue in 2021.
NCAA Vice President of Enforcement Jon Duncan told the Associated Press that letters of inquiry have gone out to multiple schools over the last few months, seeking details about name-image-likeness deals.
Six months after the Indianapolis-based NCAA cleared the way for college athletes to earn money on their celebrity, male athletes are well ahead of their female counterparts in total name, image and likeness compensation, and they have more NIL deals.
The vote was overwhelmingly in favor, 801-195, and was the main order of business at the NCAA’s annual convention in Indianapolis.
NCAA rules on transgender athletes returned to the forefront when University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas started smashing records this year. She was on the men’s team her first three years, but is competing for the women this season after transitioning.
The college sports organization will begin formal meetings on Wednesday in downtown Indianapolis.
By extension, the trademarked “March Madness” brand will no longer apply only to the men’s tournament. The women will stage “March Madness,” as well.
