A combined Final Four

Ackerman initially advocated for a combined men’s and women’s Final Four, which the Kaplan report also recommended, in 2013.

“Right now, I think it’s the most challenging of all scenarios to be in two different cities on the same weekend,” she said. “It would be like putting the NBA and the WNBA All-star Games on the same weekend in different cities. So I think to be able to combine sponsors, media, NCAA personnel, and fans most of all would create just a colossal event for college basketball.”

Ackerman pointed to the logistical benefits of having NCAA membership gather in one location. As it is now, she supposes she’s one of a handful of commissioners who travel to both championships. Currently sponsors are more heavily investing, or activating, at the men’s tournament, where there is also a greater media presence. Having everything in one place could help elevate the women’s Final Four.

Combining the Final Fours could model Grand Slams in tennis where the men’s and women’s tours come together, but sequence the competition so that men’s and women’s games aren’t on the same days. With high-profile concerts and fanfests to complement the actual basketball, Ackerman compares the men’s Final Four to the Super Bowl, something that would only benefit the women’s tournament to be a part of.

“Barring that, I think it would be better to have the two events on different weekends so there’s not this competition for sponsor activation, media coverage,

travel by NCAA and school personnel,” Ackerman added.

Critics of a joint Final Four argue that fewer cities could accommodate all those NCAA personnel, teams and fans, and many fans fear that prices for hotels and airfare would skyrocket. Some are concerned that women’s basketball would still be positioned as secondary to the men’s championship.

“I don’t think a reason to not do it is because of fears that the women will get overshadowed,” Ackerman said. “I don’t think that’s giving women’s basketball enough credit. I feel very sure that women’s basketball will not get overshadowed.”