As women’s hoops grows, scrutiny increases on NCAA hosts to manage hotel offerings, travel times
Eastern Washington savored the thrill of claiming a Big Sky Conference Tournament title that secured its second trip to the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
Yet, with the Eagles part of March Madness for the first time since 1987, there was at least one damper on that buzz: having to stay in a hotel 40 miles out due to limited availability near Oregon State’s arena, leading to a gameday trip that took an hour.
“To be an hour away, we were pretty bummed,” Eastern Washington athletic director Tim Collins told The Associated Press.
It’s an example of the logistical headaches that are part of the equation for a tournament that has long relied on host schools for openinground games and the better attendance that comes with it. Yet with those sites not determined until days ahead of time compared to years on the men’s side, there are more variables such as limited hotel availability displacing teams from the local scene — an issue highlighted by Utah reporting that it experienced a series of hate crimes in Idaho while staying 30 miles from its games in Spokane, Washington, before changing hotels.
“Seeing packed venues at first- and second-round games was incredible, and it is certainly an important aspect of our studentathletes’ NCAA Tournament experience,” Texas A&M deputy athletic director and senior woman administrator Kristen Brown said in an email to the AP.
“However, there also needs to be a certain standard and consistency across all host sites when it comes to areas like hotel accommodations, nutrition, and the competition facility that are prioritized as part of the student-athlete experience as well.”
That’s a balance facing the NCAA as it evaluates the next steps for the tournament at a time of unprecedented growth and popularity for the sport.
Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president for women’s basketball, told the AP this week that the selection committee was scheduled to review its championship format after the 2025 tournament, though she is pushing for that to begin this year. That would include the advancement from the First Four through the early round hosts and then to the two-regional format introduced last season.
As far as host sites, it’s a tricky balance, starting with the boost of stronger attendance for home-standing teams compared to playing at neutral sites to start the tournament. This year, the opening two rounds drew a record 292,456 fans, surpassing last year’s previous high by more than 60,000.
“If the NCAA can come up with a welldesigned plan for (neutral-site hosts), it would definite be better from a competitive standpoint,” said Nebraska spokesman Jeff Griesch, whose Cornhuskers traveled to the Oregon State site for the NCAAs. “Not sure it will be better for fans, the atmosphere in the buildings or the presentation on television.”