After touching on a couple of news items from the WNBA and NCAA, this week’s edition of “This Week in Women’s Basketball” serves as an opportunity to catch up on the 21 individuals and three teams nominated as candidates for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
NCAA announces new media rights deal with ESPN
On Thursday, the NCAA and ESPN announced a new eight-year, $920 million media rights deal. Women’s basketball remains one of 40 collegiate championships covered under the agreement, meaning, unlike the men’s NCAA Tournament, the women’s tournament will not a have a separate, unbundled media deal.
BREAKING: The NCAA has reached a new 8-year deal with ESPN worth $115M per year to televise 40 championships each year — including the women’s basketball tournament as part of the bundle.
No standalone deal for WBB.
From @ChantelJennings and me: https://t.co/NINkbgd2LA
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) January 4, 2024
NCAA president Charlie Baker suggests the contract values women’s basketball at $65 million per year, which is more than half of the annual value of the deal and 10 times more than the deal that expires at the end of the 2023-24 season. According to Baker, the NCAA could reward women’s basketball teams that advance…
