NCAA to Pay Officials Same in Both Basketball Tournaments

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.”