Misogyny and the NCAA

[Lorcan]

There’s a bunch going around Twitter about the blatant misogyny that is apparent in the equipment provided for the men in Indianapolis versus what the women received in San Antonio. First reported by the Stanford Strength and Conditioning Coach, it’s an absurd look at the unequal access that women have to equipment for their own hopes for a title.

Whoever thought a rack of dumbbells only going up to 30 pounds along with sanitized yoga mats was enough for these incredible young women to perform at a high standard is ludicrous.
The fact that women have to fight for equal access time and time again is exhausting. This coming at a time where men are suggesting lowering the rim in the WNBA to make the game more exciting with dunks is ludicrous.

 

[ConwayGmck]

And unfortunately, the official NCAA response thus far given - from the NCAA VP of Women's Basketball - shows only a disconnect from the issue(s):

Simply waiting for teams in the WBB's NCAAT to get eliminated from the tournament - thus reducing the number of teams still participating and creating more available facility spaces to expand on facility access for weight rooms and training/conditioning, exposes the problems, rather than a solution to said problems.

Why was the bubble for the WBB NCAAT smaller than the bubble for MBB's NCAAT? Don't the same number of teams participate at the start of each? Aren't the WBB teams allowed per NCAA rules to have MORE scholarship players than the MBB teams are allowed? And isn't it the NCAA themselves that pick and choose where these bubble sites are to be held, to begin with? So they should know what problems are going to exist before even the invited programs do?

More questions are put on the table, than answers......

 

[DaBball]

Doesn’t end with equipment:

 

[Magy Cannon]

Sucks big time

 

[Kaizen]

The NCAA said it was "actively working" to enhance existing resources for teams at the women's basketball tournament in San Antonio after social media posts showed a vast difference between weight-training facilities for the women and for the men's tournament in Indianapolis.

Arizona women's coach Adia Barnes said the difference was "not acceptable."

Stanford sports performance coach Ali Kershner posted a Tweet on Thursday showing side-by-side photos of a large conference-center room filled with weights at the men's tournament and a small weight tower at the women's tournament.

NCAA admits women's tourney facilities lacking

The NCAA acknowledged issues with weight-training facilities at the women's tournament in San Antonio after a social-media post showed the difference between the women's facilities and the men's in Indianapolis.

www.espn.com

 

[Kaizen]

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I don't know how the NCAA thought they would get away with this.

 

[dws3665]

Ms. Prince has some thoughts.

 

[Dwilliams02]

Even if they enhance the women's facilities... I still will not be satisfied. Sorry.. but the initial treatment should have been equal to the men.

 

[cancontent]

I need to go onto Twitter to find it but I saw a post where someone outline several Title IX violations they saw based on this. That part is what probably gets to me the most. There's legislation (if this is the wrong term sorry) in place to make things fair and it's not being adhered to by the NCAA itself.

 

[TC22]

NCAA doesn’t have to adhere to it because they aren’t an educational institution. Im no expert but that’s how it was explained. Still, both the men and women’s tournaments are controlled by the NCAA. The women don’t even have a damn t-shirt with the logo of the tournament on it. It just says women’s basketball. WTH?

 

[LoTrader]

The individuals who are the supposed leaders of the NCAA should've stepped up to the mic immediately and acknowledged the "failure", "oversight", whatever. And issued a proclamation to fix immediately, and, make sure it doesn't repeat.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

They obviously should provide similar amenities.

I'm not even sure the cost disparity would be that significant unless it actually is a space concern that would require separate rentals.

I would guess that the two events are managed by different people so it is entirely possible in an ad hoc situation like this that there wasn't a comparison of notes.

My guess is the swag bags might depend on sponsorships, but dunno.

Hopefully they will fix it.

 

[ConwayGmck]

I need to go onto Twitter to find it but I saw a post where someone outline several Title IX violations they saw based on this. That part is what probably gets to me the most. There's legislation (if this is the wrong term sorry) in place to make things fair and it's not being adhered to by the NCAA itself.

 

[Carnac]

Doesn’t end with equipment:

Throw gender out of the equation. Why can't the bags for the men's and women's participants be the same? SMH.

 

[TC22]

As ironic as this guideline by the NCAA is, the schools are required to follow those guidelines because they get federal money. However, since the NCAA itself is paid by the member institutions and does not receive federal money they aren't bound by those rules. Crazy.

 

[HuskyNan]

Doesn’t end with equipment:

Five pound dumbbells? We used to all those Barbiebells. I’m old enough to be the players’ grandmother and my trainer has me using 25-40 pound dumbbells.