The NCAA expressed regret to female basketball players following criticism over the differences in the men’s and women’s game facilities that became popular on social media.
A photo shared by Ali Kershner, a sports performance coach at Stanford University, revealed the women’s weight training area with only a single set of weights and a stack of yoga mats for equipment.
During a virtual meeting on Friday, NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball, Dan Gavitt, acknowledged the shortcomings and pledged to improve. Gavitt stated, “I am sorry to the women student-athletes, coaches, and committee for our oversight on the weight room situation in San Antonio. We are committed to rectifying this promptly.”
To address the issue, the NCAA has converted a section of the convention center into a new training facility, which is set to be completed by Saturday.
In addition to the weight-room matter, discussions at the meeting raised concerns about the disparity in the number of teams, with 68 in the men’s tournament versus 64 in the women’s tournament, and the NCAA funding the men’s National Individual Tournament (NIT) but not the women’s.
Regarding field size and NIT funding, Gavitt noted, “Decisions on the number of teams and the NIT are made in collaboration with the membership. These are considerations that require collective input. It is crucial to address these issues at this time.”
