March Madness is one of the most anticipated sporting events in the United States. The tournament consists of 68 Division 1 Womens and Mens basketball teams. According to ESPN, in 2022 17.3 million brackets were filled out for the Men’s NCAA tournament, while only 1.5 million brackets were filled out for the Women’s NCAA tournament. While both the mens and womens tournament are a popular pastime in March, historically the men’s tournament has always generated more buzz.
“I think that men’s college basketball is more popular because it’s played at a faster pace and they can dunk,” sophomore Emma Schneiderman said, who only filled out a women’s bracket this year.
While sophomore Sam Meehan stated, “I think it’s because the guys started earlier and they’re just bigger so more people might find men’s basketball more entertaining.”
While NCAA Women’s College Basketball games have not gotten the same attention as the men’s games in the past, the 2024 Women’s NCAA Championship game proved that enthusiasm for women’s basketball is on the rise. With 18.9 million viewers, it became the most watched college or pro basketball game in the last five years.
When asked about the growing popularity of women’s basketball, Schneiderman said, “I definitely think that stars like Caitlin Clark have made an impact because she broke so many records and had a more aggressive playing style than people usually see.”
Meehan added that, “I have filled out a womens bracket ever since Caitlin Clark went to Iowa.”
Even though Caitlin Clark has since graduated, the views for the first rounds of March Madness are still up 43% from 2023. Additionally, approximately 5 million brackets were filled out this year which is 3.5 million more than in 2022.
While Men’s March Madness has always been considered more popular, it is evident that Women’s March Madness is on the rise. Stars like Caitlin Clark have helped Women’s basketball gain traction. As interest has grown, viewership of March Madness and participants of bracket competitions have also increased.
