Caitlin Clark has now signed a contract that includes…
Give Caitlin Clark credit for landing a big deal with ESPN for women’s sports in the NCAA.
Caitlin Clark is not just a talented athlete of the new generation, but she is also the impetus behind the growth of women’s sports generally. The NCAA and ESPN have partnered to create a new media outlet that has elevated women’s sports to unprecedented levels. Women’s sports are the primary beneficiaries of the agreement, while not being its exclusive focus.
The agreement gives rights to 21 women’s championships and guarantees that women’s basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics would all air on network television (ABC). More than 800 hours of NCAA championships will be aired on ESPN linear networks throughout the year; 2,300 hours will be available on linear and digital platforms. For the first time in women’s sports history, ESPN has committed to media coverage for practically all of the NCAA women’s sports.
It’s unlikely that anyone will recognize the influence Clark had in getting this deal and bringing attention to women’s sports, which went beyond women’s basketball. She proved that women’s collegiate athletics could attract a substantial television viewership. With a triple-double of 41 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds in the NCAA women’s basketball championship tournament the previous year, Iowa was led to the Final Four by Caitlin Clark, who created history. 2.49 million people watched the game, taking in her historic performance. For the first time, the cost of tickets for the women’s Final Four was three times more than that of the men’s Final Four. ESPN then aired the women’s finals with Angel Reese’s LSU Tigers and Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes. Because of Clark’s excitement and the rivalry between her and Reese, the crowd of almost 10 million people was by far the largest to watch a women’s basketball game. Women’s sports were talked about around water coolers and had unexpectedly gained popularity. It was the first time, outside of the Olympics or World Cup, that women’s sports had drawn a sizable audience on network television.
A general outcry about the media’s predominant disregard for and devaluation of women’s sports resulted from this. Because of Clark and women’s basketball, women’s collegiate volleyball this year broke numerous attendance and viewership records. As a result, Texas defeated Nebraska in the most recent women’s college volleyball match to win the N
CAA national championship, which was broadcast on ABC. Even though it w
as a Sunday and up against NFL football, volleyball fans witnessed record numbers of people
watch the contest.
Women’s sports have been experiencin
g momentum and tailwinds, and Caitlin Clark’s recent feats have only strengthened this. Clark’s buzzer beater for her 40th point in Iowa’s 76-73 victory over Michigan State the other night ignited social media and cemented her reputation as a nationally recognized sports celebrity. She even has endorsement deals with large corporations like Nike and State Farm.
Next month, Clark is most likely going to shatter the NCAA scoring record. Clark now holds the fifth-place spot on the all-time leaderboard with 3,189 points. With 3,527 points at Washington in 2013–17, Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces, two WNBA titles) set the record. Clark, who as of January 3 was averaging 31.5 points, is 338 points behind that number.The NCAA men’s record for points scored is currently held by the all-time great Pistol Pete Maravich, who Clark may also surpass with 3667.
Given the continued rise in popularity of women’s sports, Clark’s achievements are invaluable. These amazing accomplishments mark a turning moment in the history of women’s sports, giving them more legitimacy and cultural acceptance.
