The March Madness tournament began in 1939 with just 8 men’s teams and, in 1985, expanded to the current 64-team format we know today. The women’s side of the tournament began in the 1981-1982 school year, where it joined the AIAW (Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women) in the top women’s basketball competitions of the time. 32 teams competed in the inaugural tournament and were doubled to match the men’s side in 1994. Now, what makes March “Mad”? The story began in the 1930s when the term “March Madness” was used to describe high school basketball tournaments in the Midwest. The connection to the NCAA tournament began when Brent Musburger used it while covering the Final Four in 1982.
If you’re wondering what truly separates basketball from other NCAA tournaments like football, volleyball, and soccer, (as most tournaments have 60+ teams competing, except football) it’s simple: history and hype. More accurately, the combination of both. March Madness helped launch many college athlete’s careers and it transformed them into basketball legends. Prime examples are Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, whose college rivalry carried into the NBA in the 1970s, driving up viewership and turning it into a multibillion-dollar industry over the following 20 years. Similarly, stars like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Candace Parker, and A’ja Wilson did the same for the WNBA, and while the league’s viewership and profit are not close to the NBA, the women are on the rise.
Like Bird and Magic, the most recent college rivals to make the jump from college to pro are Angel Reese and Caitlyn Clark. Reese made history with LSU in 2023, winning the program’s first championship against heavy favorites Iowa Hawkeyes and Caitlyn Clark, who’s considered by many to be the best college player of all time. Not for nothing, since Clark has the records to prove it. Her most prominent one being the all-time scorer in all of college basketball for both men’s and women’s. The rivalry began in the 2023 championship game after Reese made “you can’t see me” and “ring me” gestures towards Clark and the crowd, the first one being a response to Clark doing the same thing against Louisville in the Elite 8. Both situations have been cleared up by all players involved as being part of the game and they both claim no hard feelings. However, this hasn’t stopped fans of Clark from making racist and derogatory comments towards Reese and other black players after they play against her, claiming they’re “especially aggressive” towards her. All this being said, everyone knows where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and this controversy in the 2023 tournament led to history being made a year later.
The 2024 tournament saw new and old stars rise, like then USC freshman Juju Watkins, who led the Trojans to their first Elite Eight in 20 years, and UConn redshirt junior Paige Bueckers. Bueckers was the number one recruit out of high school, potential number one pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, and had to sit out her whole junior year because of an injury. She came back to lead her team to the Final Four, where they fell short in a controversial ending to the Iowa Hawkeyes and Caitlyn Clark. Angel Reese had a good last season, but her Tigers also lost to Iowa in the Elite Eight. Iowa was confident going into the championship game against South Carolina, who they had beaten the year prior. However, the Gamecocks were equally as confident since they were heading into the championship game undefeated, led by the legendary Coach Dawn Staley. This showdown between Iowa and UofSC had 18.7 million viewers, surpassing the men’s final by 4 million; making it the first time in history that women’s college basketball had more viewers than the men’s. While Clark, Reese, and others have now left college for the pros, the previously mentioned stars like Juju Watkins, Paige Bueckers, and others like Flau’jae Johnson, Olivia Miles, Lauren Betts, Te-Hina Paopao, Kiki Iraifen, Hailey Van Lith, among others are gearing up for the big tournament. I’m excited not only to see the action, but also to see if the views match the hype, surpassing the men for a second year in a row.
With a record-breaking 18.7 million viewers, women’s athletics now has an unprecedented level of visibility, putting female athletes in the spotlight like never before. More exposure means more sponsorships, higher advertising revenue, and better funding for women’s sports programs. That also translates to higher salaries for female athletes, which is a big step forward. This shift isn’t just about numbers, it reflects a bigger cultural movement that’s challenging stereotypes and pushing for real gender equality in sports. Beyond the financial benefits, this moment inspires young girls to see a future for themselves in athletics. When they see packed stadiums and major media coverage, it reinforces the idea that their sports dreams matter and that they’re achievable. At the end of the day, this record-breaking championship wasn’t just a game; it was a milestone that’s reshaping the way the world sees women’s sports
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I must also mention that a big reason people have emotionally and economically invested in women’s college basketball is not only due to better media coverage, but because the men follow the ‘one and done’ rule. This means they graduate high school, play one year of college, and then go to the NBA. Women, on the other hand, can’t do that because the WNBA requires them to be either 22-years-old in that calendar year or to have used all four years of college eligibility to be drafted. International players must be 20 but often have been playing professionally since their teenage years. There are many theories behind this rule, but, ultimately, players staying in college has been great for the games. They use the four years to build their brands and fan bases and can even earn money since NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) was enacted in July 2021. Many, like myself, enjoy men’s college basketball less because many of the players are freshmen who leave after one year. Fans don’t connect with them as much and don’t see their game develop in college. Instead, the development happens over two or three years of playing professionally, where the men make millions. Meanwhile, the women make much less and also attend classes, remaining true student-athletes.
All this being said, I have been tuning in for both women’s and men’s tournaments. We are now in the last stretch with the women’s and men’s Final Four happening this first week of April, but like many others, I’m significantly more excited about the women’s games. This is not to say the men don’t have heavy-hitting stars and Madness like UConn being eliminated very early, but I watch men’s college basketball because they are good games. However, the women’s league gives me good games, recognizable faces, and teams with players to emotionally invest in, making the stories of March Madness ten times more exciting.