COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) – It’s not March anymore, but the madness continues!
There’s been a huge jump in popularity for women’s sports…more recently in college basketball.
Monday, fans across the area and the nation tuned into the match up between the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Champs LSU and the University of Iowa, who now move on to the final four after winning a game expected to have massive viewership.
News Leader 9 talked with our very own Macy Woodworth who played basketball at the collegiate level. Woodworth says she’s proud of the landscape of women’s basketball is taking a turn for the better.
The increase in interest and attention with women’s sports comes more than 50 years after the Title IX (9) passed June 1972, which helped create gender equality in the sport world.
In January, news broke out about the NCAA and ESPN networks signing a new eight year broadcast deal for more then $900 million. What’s making the most of the deal? Women’s sports.
While women’s sports have been on the sidelines of media– this is a big win. Woodworth started playing basketball at the age of seven and went on the play division 2 ball at Lee University in Cleveland. She admires the growing support, coverage, and attention of women’s sports.
“Now you’re hearing that women’s college basketball for D1 their viewership it has skyrocketed in comparison to men’s and that’s really encouraging. It’s not a knock to the guys but I think it’s showing that women are getting the coverage and love they deserve for their hardwork. They’re working their butts off and it’s really really inspiring,” said Woodworth.
Iowa has now clinched a spot in the final four and will face the University of Connecticut.
Meanwhile, the University of South Carolina and North Carolina State will face off on Friday.
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