Let’s discuss NCAAW basketball compared to NCAA baseball

[sigma_dawg]

ESPN and social media are now promoting NCAAW basketball more strongly than ever. This momentum will only strengthen in the years to come. Recently, the NCAAW championship game reached almost 19 million viewers which was among the highest rated college basketball games (men’s or women’s) in history. In the last 20 years the national tv audience for regular season games has grown by 700%! Social media has also fueled its rise with most of the growth occurring in the last 3 years. Media attention has also increased 1000% over the last 20 years across major networks and social media engagement increasing 2000%! Corporate sponsorships are skyrocketing as a result and building momentum very quickly.

Now to look at college baseball over the last 20 years. ESPN has increased coverage but the viewership has remained stagnant. While women’s basketball championship games draw 18 million viewers+, at the same moment in time college baseball championship games drew 1.8-2.5 million viewers which is roughly 10-15% of women’s basketball. Over the last 20 years, women’s basketball has had a MASSIVE national surge, baseball hasn’t experienced anything remotely close to this. Attendance for college baseball has grown and has been very strong in the SEC. Social media growth for college baseball has been roughly 25% that of NCAAW basketball.

These are very important metrics to consider when planning for the future. What is important of note is the surge in softball across America. As mentioned previously, it has surpassed college baseball nationally and momentum rivals that of NCAAW basketball.

This is all VERY positive for MSU and sports in general. Let’s hope our AD and president are taking note.

 

[Dirty Dirk]

Professional sports are more likely to die altogether than for womens sports to become popular.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

 

[Seinfeld]

And yet….


But by all means, let’s keep pumping money into this cash cow

 

[sigma_dawg]

And yet….

View attachment 1387519
But by all means, let’s keep pumping money into this cash cow

Reread the post. You are talking about something completely off topic. We obviously are not deploying our resources wisely. That will need to change as we move forward.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

 

[Mayor of Little London]

Is the WNBA going to get stronger (more eyeballs and $$$) now that it’s coed? I realize it will short term if men get in but is it sustainable, if no, will it explode and will it effect anything on the college level? Could be the first step in realizing….. hey women’s sports was fun for a while but we are tired of suspending belief that hey are world class athletes. I mean if they are exposed as maybe as talented as male 16 year old quality athletes do I really want to make the two hour drive and buy tickets to pro or college games. Or… could college become bigger because it’s the top level of women’s only sports again?

 

[sigma_dawg]

Is the WNBA going to get stronger (more eyeballs and $$$) now that it’s coed? I realize it will short term if men get in but is it sustainable, if no, will it explode and will it effect anything on the college level? Could be the first step in realizing….. hey women’s sports was fun for a while but we are tired of suspending belief that hey are world class athletes. I mean if they are exposed as maybe as talented as male 16 year old quality athletes do I really want to make the two hour drive and buy tickets to pro or college games. Or… could college become bigger because it’s the top level of women’s only sports again?

 

[TaleofTwoDogs]

I think you are getting your stats confused, pilgrim. Your numbers are kinda backward.

2026 Women's Basketball championship game - 9.88 million viewers UCLA vs. SC (ESPN/ABC)
2026 Men's Basketball championship game - 18.3 million viewers Mich vs. UConn (TNT/CBS)

2026 Women's Softball championship game - 2.5 million viewers Texas vs Texas Tech (ESPN)
2026 Men's baseball championship game - 2.1 million viewers OK vs NC (ESPN)

Of note is that both men and women viewership has greatly increased over the last several years. I might point out that the women's softball game was played between two Texas rivals in a sports crazy state of 19 million people and shown on ESPN. The men's champion was an Oklahoma team with a losing SEC conference record.

On a positive note, our Super Regional game against Georgia was viewed by 1.2 million on ESPN which is the 2nd highest ranked Super Regional in ESPN history

 

[HailStout]

 

[theoriginalSALTYdog]

Jesus H. Christ.......Not this **** AGAIN.........

 

[sigma_dawg]

Jesus H. Christ.......Not this **** AGAIN.........

This is all an absolutely wonderful thing. Women’s sports growing like wildfire and everyone is starting to tune in and they’re outperforming men’s sports. It’s like saying “Christopher Columbus discovered a new world…” and you being the one outcast in the corner being like “gosh this sucks!”

 

[horshack.sixpack]

 

[Seinfeld]

Reread the post. You are talking about something completely off topic. We obviously are not deploying our resources wisely. That will need to change as we move forward.

Ok, so when you say that you hope our president and AD are taking notes, are these the notes that you mean?




For all the stories that we keep seeing about surging popularity and viewership, it’s weird as to how difficult it is to find literally anyone actually making money.

 

[olblue]

ESPN and social media are now promoting NCAAW basketball more strongly than ever. This momentum will only strengthen in the years to come. Recently, the NCAAW championship game reached almost 19 million viewers which was among the highest rated college basketball games (men’s or women’s) in history. In the last 20 years the national tv audience for regular season games has grown by 700%! Social media has also fueled its rise with most of the growth occurring in the last 3 years. Media attention has also increased 1000% over the last 20 years across major networks and social media engagement increasing 2000%! Corporate sponsorships are skyrocketing as a result and building momentum very quickly.

Now to look at college baseball over the last 20 years. ESPN has increased coverage but the viewership has remained stagnant. While women’s basketball championship games draw 18 million viewers+, at the same moment in time college baseball championship games drew 1.8-2.5 million viewers which is roughly 10-15% of women’s basketball. Over the last 20 years, women’s basketball has had a MASSIVE national surge, baseball hasn’t experienced anything remotely close to this. Attendance for college baseball has grown and has been very strong in the SEC. Social media growth for college baseball has been roughly 25% that of NCAAW basketball.

These are very important metrics to consider when planning for the future. What is important of note is the surge in softball across America. As mentioned previously, it has surpassed college baseball nationally and momentum rivals that of NCAAW basketball.

This is all VERY positive for MSU and sports in general. Let’s hope our AD and president are taking note.

If you spent as much time doing something productive as you do trolling on a message board, you could have a real impact.

 

[Villagedawg]

I absolutely refuse to do this **** again.

 

[Puppychow]

Athletics can be a marketing expense for a university, not necessarily a profit center. Alabama is the obvious example—football generates so much exposure and enrollment interest that the university can justify taking losses in athletics.

But that doesn’t apply equally to every school or sport. I doubt our women’s basketball season moved enrollment much. Our softball World Series run, though, probably did. A national run puts the university in front of millions of prospective students who otherwise might never pay attention.

The question isn’t whether every sport makes money. It’s whether the exposure generates enough value for the university to justify the cost. Either way, you can’t kill women’s sports for not making money.