By Dylan Brett
The anticipation within the concourses of the Barclays Center was palpable as the inaugural Women’s Champions Classic took center stage in front of a crowd of 9,114 fans Dec. 7.
The event marked the beginning of a new era for women’s basketball, as viewership continues to skyrocket and the sport navigates the new landscape of name, image and likeness (NIL) deals to further grow into a mainstream phenomenon.
The inaugural event featured some of the sport’s premier programs, with a combined 19 national championships between Connecticut, Iowa, Louisville and Tennessee. Tennessee won the first game of the evening over Iowa, 78-68, while UConn closed out the event with an 85-52 victory over Louisville.
While the action on the court took center stage, the event also served as a new benchmark for the booming women’s basketball industry.
The NCAA men’s division has had a Champions Classic event since 2011, featuring perennial powerhouses Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan State. With interest and viewership of women’s basketball on the rise, an event bringing the sport’s best programs together felt necessary.
“Interest in women’s sports continues to experience exponential growth and basketball is leading the way with viewership and attendance records continually being set,” said David Levy, one of the event organizers. “The Women’s Champions Classic will serve as a platform to showcase the remarkable talent and unwavering dedication of these teams and student-athletes in primetime on FOX.”
Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma was one of the primary driving forces behind the Women’s Champions Classic, initially calling for its establishment in 2022. The event is the first of its kind for women’s basketball, and will annually feature UConn, the host team, along with a rotation of programs that are ranked in the Associated Press top 25.
“I kind of spearheaded this and said this is what I want to do, I want to showcase women’s basketball and invest in it,” Auriemma said. “The people at FOX were piece number two for giving us the platform, and thirdly, I said there has to be a component where all the best teams in the country want to play in this tournament.”
The women’s basketball world is also in uncharted waters as it pertains to player compensation, as college athletes can now make money via NIL deals as of June 2021. The new rule allows players to earn money through endorsement deals and contracts. According to a study by On3 Recruiting Service, women’s basketball is the fastest growing sport in the NCAA when it comes to NIL endorsement deals.
Last week, Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers became the first female collegiate athlete to sign a shoe deal, launching her signature shoe line with Nike. Bueckers debuted the model in Saturday’s win over Louisville, with several of her teammates wearing the shoe in support. Bueckers is among the most valuable players in women’s basketball, with an NIL valuation of $1.4 million, according to On3.
Athletes like Bueckers are looking to capitalize on a massive rise in women’s sports viewership and revenue. Last season’s women’s national championship drew a record 19 million viewers on ABC, shattering women’s sports viewership records and creating new financial opportunities for women’s basketball.
The national television success of last season’s title game has inspired coaches to set up new tournaments for viewers on cable and streaming, with the Women’s Champions Classic leading the way.
For more information on the Women’s Champions Classic and women’s college basketball, fans can visit BarclaysCenter.com and WomensChampionsClassic.com.
