“Right Now College Basketball is Owned By Connecticut.”

[JMick]

This. 100 per cent.

Look, we’re UConn. It would be great for our athletic department as a whole if women’s hoops became as economically important to college sports as men’s basketball and they both elevated each other towards football importance. Let it happen. But if next year’s women basketball numbers are 20% higher on a lasting basis than the pre-Clarke baseline, I’d be shocked.

Id be shocked if they aren't 50% lower

 

[CL82]

I'll be curious to see how successful Clark will be as a marketing focal point. She had a great college career, but, hype machine notwithstanding, she seems kind of unlikable to me.

 

[Hoophound]

I'll be curious to see how successful Clark will be as a marketing focal point. She had a great college career, but, hype machine notwithstanding, she seems kind of unlikable to me.

I feel the same. Not sure why exactly, I just don’t get it.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

I was actually fairly surprised at her rookie contract…4 Years and $300k or whatever it was. I did see her hug Jake from Statefarm at the draft though so I assume endorsements will make up for a pretty lousy WNBA salary.

 

[businesslawyer]

Id be shocked if they aren't 50% lower

Not lower than the just completed season. The "baseline" meaning prior seasons. No reason to think it would be below those.

 

[7774]

This. 100 per cent.

Look, we’re UConn. It would be great for our athletic department as a whole if women’s hoops became as economically important to college sports as men’s basketball and they both elevated each other towards football importance. Let it happen. But if next year’s women basketball numbers are 20% higher on a lasting basis than the pre-Clarke baseline, I’d be shocked.

Interesting, I'd be shocked if they weren't.

 

[BlueMAB]

The women's game is growing. The men's game required investment. It wasn't always a worldwide sport. It required star power and marketing. The NBA almost died until Magic & Bird came along, then Jordan brought it to another level. He, too, had a "hype machine" to match his once-in-a-generation talent.

The women's game requires marketing and stars as well. But if you don't think it's growing, you're not paying attention. The skill level of some of these young girls is off the chart. These girls can now dream about a career playing basketball, because they've seen others do it. Ratings will not stay flat, nor will they grow on a straight incline, they will be up and down and grow over time....just like the men's ratings.

Looking at the sport, ratings, etc. in one-year increments is a waste of time.

 

[upstater]

Interesting, I'd be shocked if they weren't.

We're giving Clark too much credit.

Now, she is phenomenal and deserves a lot of credit.

BUT ESPN is talking about the women's game constantly. They don't have the men's tourney, and they are pumping up the women's game because it is very lucrative for them. The whole Clark - Angel Reese thing drew interest but overall, ESPN is on a mission.

They can do the same next year with Paige and JuJu and several others.

ESPN has had a bite of the pie and now it's going in for seconds.

 

[nomar]

Great to see Clay Travis is actually capable of being right about something.

I bet Portnoy waits to see who Travis bets on, and then puts $1 million on the team playing them.

 

[ctchamps]

UConn Women’s Basketball is a national brand with bandwagon fans throughout the country. I lived in South Carolina and now North Carolina. When I wore UConn gear it elicited comments about the women’s team. If next years women’s team is successful and Paige does well I expect the hype to be strong for the team. Paige is very popular nationwide. Probably more so than Caitlin.

Young girls and their families were an untapped market in sports. That is no longer true. Pop singers have reaped the economic benefits for some time from this demographic. The momentum is shifting into sports. ESPN recognizes this surge and is tapping into it. Their promotion should continue the momentum.

This year was the first time North Carolinians saw my UConn gear and the talk was exclusively about the men’s team even with the women’s bb team making the final four. Absolute respect for the men’s team and the program. None of the fans of other teams wanted to play UConn in the tournament.

If Hurley can maintain the program at a high level of success the men’s team will become a national brand with bandwagon fans throughout the country. We have their attention.

 

[7774]

UConn Women’s Basketball is a national brand with bandwagon fans throughout the country. I lived in South Carolina and now North Carolina. When I wore UConn gear it elicited comments about the women’s team. If next years women’s team is successful and Paige does well I expect the hype to be strong for the team. Paige is very popular nationwide. Probably more so than Caitlin.

Young girls and their families were an untapped market in sports. That is no longer true. Pop singers have reaped the economic benefits for some time from this demographic. The momentum is shifting into sports. ESPN recognizes this surge and is tapping into it. Their promotion should continue the momentum.

This year was the first time North Carolinians saw my UConn gear and the talk was exclusively about the men’s team even with the women’s bb team making the final four. Absolute respect for the men’s team and the program. None of the fans of other teams wanted to play UConn in the tournament.

If Hurley can maintain the program at a high level of success the men’s team will become a national brand with bandwagon fans throughout the country. We have their attention.

Out of all the homer takes I've read this year, this has to be the craziest homer take.

 

[fatlucy]

Out of all the homer takes I've read this year, this has to be the craziest homer take.

You need to wake up and smell the coffee.

 

[ctchamps]

Out of all the homer takes I've read this year, this has to be the craziest homer take.

Admiration for Caitlin is based on her success. And given her achievement I do not doubt more people are following her currently. If she doesn’t sustain that degree of success, something I believe will happen in the WNBA after Nika Muhl demonstrated how to neutralize her, the followers will significantly drop.

Paige may not be the best women’s player of all time but she certainly is one of the best. And she has the personality that endears her to the public even when she’s not playing. Her personality is a magnet to young girls and women.

Caitlin has an insurance commercial. That has to be a lucrative deal. But what’s the target audience? I’m sure sports wear deals will be in the future. Although the best deals will require success in the WNBA.

Paige’s endorsements will target the demographic that makes celebrities super wealthy. Let’s hope she and her team remain healthy next season and revisit this “homerism” statement then.

 

[CL82]

UConn Women’s Basketball is a national brand with bandwagon fans throughout the country. I lived in South Carolina and now North Carolina. When I wore UConn gear it elicited comments about the women’s team

I was in Canada in 2023, and, upon hearing that I did my undergrad at UConn they gentleman I was talking with said "Doesn't their women's basketball team win the national championship every year?" I told him that we were typically in the hunt but did not win it in 2023, however, that our men's team were the national champions. He was surprised by that and had no idea that it was our fifth national championship.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

I was in Canada in 2023, and, upon hearing that I did my undergrad at UConn they gentleman I was talking with said "Doesn't their women's basketball team win the national championship every year?" I told him that we were typically in the hunt but did not win it in 2023, however, that our men's team were the national champions. He was surprised by that and had no idea that it was our fifth national championship.

Did you tell him your biggest complaint about UConn was all the snow and polar bears but the sled dogs were kinda cool?

 

[CL82]

Did you tell him your biggest complaint about UConn was all the snow and polar bears but the sled dogs were kinda cool?

Unlike the US, people in Canada realize that we are talking UConn and not Yukon.

(For what it's worth, I have no complaint about the whole Yukon thing since it once got my friends and me a round of beers during spring break in Florida.)

 

[ctchamps]

I was in Canada in 2023, and, upon hearing that I did my undergrad at UConn they gentleman I was talking with said "Doesn't their women's basketball team win the national championship every year?" I told him that we were typically in the hunt but did not win it in 2023, however, that our men's team were the national champions. He was surprised by that and had no idea that it was our fifth national championship.

My neighbors politely congratulated me after last year’s NC knowing I’m a big fan.
This year they were in awe with the program. I didn’t have to wear UConn gear for conversations to start.

North Carolina and Kentucky people are basketball fans in basketball states and they are starting to sense a changing of the guard.

The momentum is building but not quite there yet. These next few years are important.

 

[CL82]

My neighbors politely congratulated me after last year’s NC knowing I’m a big fan.
This year they were in awe with the program. I didn’t have to wear UConn gear for conversations to start.

North Carolina and Kentucky people are basketball fans in basketball states and they are starting to sense a changing of the guard.

The momentum is building but not quite there yet. These next few years are important.

Yeah, same. Even people I don't know particularly well were stopping me to talk about Connecticut basketball. And that doesn't include all the "work" phone conversations I had about it with people from all over the country. Apparently, I have talked about my UConn fandom a lot over the years.

 

[7774]

Admiration for Caitlin is based on her success. And given her achievement I do not doubt more people are following her currently. If she doesn’t sustain that degree of success, something I believe will happen in the WNBA after Nika Muhl demonstrated how to neutralize her, the followers will significantly drop.

Paige may not be the best women’s player of all time but she certainly is one of the best. And she has the personality that endears her to the public even when she’s not playing. Her personality is a magnet to young girls and women.

Caitlin has an insurance commercial. That has to be a lucrative deal. But what’s the target audience? I’m sure sports wear deals will be in the future. Although the best deals will require success in the WNBA.

Paige’s endorsements will target the demographic that makes celebrities super wealthy. Let’s hope she and her team remain healthy next season and revisit this “homerism” statement then.

Caitlin Clark has deals with Nike, Gatorade, Buick, Bose, Hy-Vee Grocery, Goldman Sachs, H&R Block, Topps, etc. It's quite a bit more than "has an insurance commercial". She's an actual famous person. They had her on SNL weekend update and her team didn't even win.

 

[ctchamps]

Caitlin Clark has deals with Nike, Gatorade, Buick, Bose, Hy-Vee Grocery, Goldman Sachs, H&R Block, Topps, etc. It's quite a bit more than "has an insurance commercial". She's an actual famous person. They had her on SNL weekend update and her team didn't even win.

I’m not doubting her fame and success. I don’t have any animosity towards her. She’s earned her success. Did not know her deals but many if not the majority are adult oriented which supports my contention. Same with SNL.

When Paige enters an arena she’s mobbed by young women. Adults and kids love her.
She may not be the most admired player but she is the most loved. And that fits the definition of popular which was the descriptor I used. Caitlin is more famous and admired but not more popular than Paige.

 

[7774]

I’m not doubting her fame and success. I don’t have any animosity towards her. She’s earned her success. Did not know her deals but many if not the majority are adult oriented which supports my contention. Same with SNL.

When Paige enters an arena she’s mobbed by young women. Adults and kids love her.
She may not be the most admired player but she is the most loved. And that fits the definition of popular which was the descriptor I used. Caitlin is more famous and admired but not more popular than Paige.

Believing kids like Paige better than Caitlin Clark is amazing. Iowa sold out every road game. Not too much point in discussing it further.

 

[ctchamps]

Believing kids like Paige better than Caitlin Clark is amazing. Iowa sold out every road game. Not too much point in discussing it further.

Where did I say she was better?

I realize I was incorrect in saying she is “more popular” because the definition of popular includes individuals who are liked and/or admired. I should have stated Paige is probably more liked as a person. Caitlin is definitely more admired as a player.

Bottom line is it bodes well for UConn’s brand next season which is the primary point of this thread and the point I was making in my original post.

 

[Scrutineer]

It was Caitlin Clark. Whether you appreciate it or not, she was the number one storyline in college basketball over the past few years as a whole by a wide margin. She was not in the championship game last year (and had not broken the scoring record), so of course there will be a huge bump.

The men’s game this year did not have superstars recognizable to the casual viewer. Edey was he closest but he was very boring to watch to the average viewer.

I doubt the ratings bump lasts and I doubt it carries over to the WNBA much (maybe a bit at the beginning) but it makes perfect sense to me that the ratings ballooned.

It didn't hurt the women's game that there was an incessant barrage of ads for CC and her game(s).
Plus they touted her becoming the highest scorer in history for both men and women without mentioning how many more games she played than Maravich and that he didn't have the benefit of the three point shot.
Typical when you think of it though. Ratings make money for those paying the "rights" fees and they blew themselves out of the water advertising all her games.

 

[Scrutineer]

My neighbors politely congratulated me after last year’s NC knowing I’m a big fan.
This year they were in awe with the program. I didn’t have to wear UConn gear for conversations to start.

North Carolina and Kentucky people are basketball fans in basketball states and they are starting to sense a changing of the guard.

The momentum is building but not quite there yet. These next few years are important.

Same with me about other states' teams' fans recognizing a powerhouse running roughshod the past two years.
Friends who I knew probably watched the tournament but never paid much attention to UConn when we won in 2011 and 2014 (and a neighbor, retired golf pro and Duke grad, was very complimentary and praised the team for how strong it looked this year) were sending me emails saying no one else had a chance.
I politely said we don't want to hear any such pronouncements in advance of the final game!

 

[UconnU]

It’s nice seeing Clay Travis giving us some love. Only took two consecutive run away Championships to do it.