BASKETBALL
NCAA to give officials equal pay
The NCAA will pay basketball officials for the women's tournament the same amount it pays the officials for the men's competition.
"The national office continues to prioritize gender equity and has taken steps to correct the disparity of pay for officials selected to work the Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships," the NCAA said in a statement. "All basketball officials, regardless of the gender of sport participants, will be receiving equal pay for championship games officiated in 2022 and beyond."
Gender equality in college basketball returned to the forefront last season after the NCAA failed to provide similar amenities to the teams in the men's and women's Division I tournaments.
The NCAA commissioned the Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP law firm to create a gender equity report last summer. The firm issued a 113-page document that had a series of recommendations for changes in the women's tournament that included expanding the field to 68 teams and using the phrase "March Madness."
Officiating was not brought up at all in the report, but the NCAA noticed in budgeting meetings that the referees had a pay difference and decided to make a change.
"Happy the NCAA recognized that this was the right thing to do for NCAA Tournament officials," selection committee chairman Nina King said. "It was almost low-hanging fruit. Why aren't we paying the officials the same to do the same work on the men's tournament? Pretty easy rationale to put forward. I'm really pleased that we got the approval to do that."
FILE - South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, left, questions a call during the second half of a women's Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Stanford Friday, April 2, 2021, at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The NCAA will pay basketball officials for the women's tournament the same amount it pays the officials for the men's competition. “The national office continues to prioritize gender equity and has taken steps to correct the disparity of pay for officials selected to work the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships,” the NCAA said in a statement. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
FILE - In this March 14, 2012, file photo, a player runs across the NCAA logo during practice in Pittsburgh before an NCAA tournament college basketball game. The NCAA will pay basketball officials for the women's tournament the same amount it pays the officials for the men's competition.“The national office continues to prioritize gender equity and has taken steps to correct the disparity of pay for officials selected to work the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships,” the NCAA said in a statement. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)