The NCAA women’s basketball tournament will start using “March Madness” in marketing and branding beginning this season.
Using the phrase, which has been associated with the men’s tournament for years, was one of the recommendations stemming from an external review of gender equity issues of the tournaments. The report released in August was sparked by outrage at the disparities between amenities such as the skimpy weight room available for the women’s teams to use compared with the men’s.
It’s still unclear exactly how March Madness will be incorporated into the women’s tournament, but putting the slogan on the court would be a possible starting place. The tournament last season simply had “Women’s Basketball” on its court.
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“Women’s basketball has grown tremendously over the past several years, and we remain focused on our priority of enhancing and growing the game,” said Lynn Holzman, vice president of women’s basketball. “The brand recognition …