While many coaches FOS spoke with believe the NCAA expanded with mostly the men’s tournament in mind, they hope it can bring opportunities to the women’s game.
The NCAA’s decision to expand the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments from a field of 68 to 76 received mixed reactions and even backlash from heavyweights like Geno Auriemma, Dan Hurley, and Brad Underwood. But some women’s coaches see the broader field less as a decrease in quality, and more as an increase in opportunity.
“It’s good for program recognition,” BYU head coach Lee Cummard tells Front Office Sports. The Cougars were one of the last four teams out of this year’s women’s tournament. “The athletes on our team have unbelievable stories that they need to share with the world, and visibility allows them to share those stories.”
Historically, the women’s basketball tournament has been less deep than the men’s: In the last three years, the lower seed won only 8 women’s first-round games compared with 24 on the men’s side.
The prospect of new opportunities from expansion especially excites mid-major coaches who spoke to FOS. Fairleigh Dickinson’s Stephanie Gaitley explains that sports are the “porch” of a university and where a smaller school can get major exposure.
