March Madness will pay women's teams under a new structure approved by the NCAA

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A significant change has been approved for women's basketball teams, as they will now receive financial compensation for participating in the NCAA Tournament, aligning with the men's tournament model. This decision was unanimously endorsed by NCAA membership during the recent convention.

The transition to a performance-based compensation structure engages revenue-sharing units for women's teams in the tournament. For example, a women's team that reaches the Final Four could generate approximately $1.26 million for its conference over the next three years through these financial performance rewards.

In the inaugural year, the NCAA will distribute $15 million from the fund to participating teams, representing 26% of the women's basketball media revenue deal, which is in line with what men's teams received when this model was first established. By 2028, this share will increase to $25 million, or 41% of the revenue.

The integration of performance units for women's basketball will commence this March, coinciding with the 43rd occurrence of the NCAA women's tournament. Previously, the absence of a similar revenue-sharing system for women's events had drawn significant criticism over the years.

This initiative marks a pivotal moment in bridging the gap between men's and women's collegiate athletics and is expected to enhance the financial support for women's sports moving forward.