In one of his first major interviews since becoming the NCAA president, Charlie Baker told NBC Sunday the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments could soon be part of a separate media deal.
The women’s basketball deal is bundled with the rest of the non-football/men’s basketball sports. However, with the viewership for the women’s Final Four on the rise and growing calls for equity when it comes to athletics, Baker hinted that the time has come to make the move.
“I think the women’s tournament this year has been sensational, both in terms of viewership but also in terms of quality of play,” he said on “Meet The Press.”
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“I think this is definitely something that’s on our radar. The contract is up, [and] we do have an opportunity to put it out separately, and we’re going to work really hard to make sure that those student-athletes, those schools, those programs get what I describe as what they should get.”
The contract expires following the 2023-24 season.
Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him @cpriceglobe.