The Big Ten’s record-breaking women’s basketball television ratings have translated to a new attendance record for next month’s Big Ten tournament.
Two weeks before the league’s top teams compete at Minneapolis’ Target Center, every session has sold out for the first time, the conference announced Friday. Big Ten officials estimate more than 109,000 fans will attend the seven sessions and shatter the league’s total attendance record of 47,923, which was set last year in Minneapolis.
The #B1G Conference is excited to announce the 2024 TIAA @B1Gwbball Tournament is sold out for the first time in its history! pic.twitter.com/i4mA78d9Tx
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) February 23, 2024
Call it the Caitlin Clark Effect. The Iowa senior guard, who broke the women’s NCAA career scoring mark last week, has helped the Hawkeyes sell out and/or set attendance records at 30 of 32 arenas this year. Iowa became the first Big Ten women’s program to sell out its entire season and played before only two crowds at an exempt tournament in Florida that were not at full capacity.
With the Hawkeyes’ proximity to Minneapolis, fans flocked north last year to see Iowa win the league championship. That seems to be the case this year, too, only with tickets sold well in advance. Plus,
