“I just don’t understand some of the decisions that are made about our game when we’re trying to grow the goddamn game.” 

 

This past weekend, Geno Auriemma – UConn’s head women’s basketball coach – didn’t hold back when addressing the press. Auriemma shared strong words about some of the ways in which the NCAA is managing the women’s March Madness tournament in 2026, pointing out several ongoing issues that he believes continue to hold back women’s basketball. 

His primary grievances included:

• Inconsistent (and often inferior) scheduling decisions that limit visibility for marquee women’s games

• Venue and location choices that fail to maximize attendance, access, and atmosphere

• A broader lack of intentionality and decision-making related to setting women athletes up for success in the tournament 

For some (important) context: Auriemma isn’t just anybody weighing in from the sidelines. He’s led the Huskies for 41 seasons, building one of the most dominant dynasties in sports history. In the last four decades, UConn has won 12 NCAA Championships, made the Final Four 25 times, had six perfect seasons, and won 61 conference championships.

Simply put: very few people have had a clearer view of both the potential and the pitfalls of women’s college basketball than Auriemma.

For this reason, Auriemma sharing these frustrations during the 2026 tournament is particularly telling and warrants widespread attention. Despite the explosion of popularity for women’s college basketball in recent years, Auriemma is ensuring media, decision makers and fans know that the infrastructure surrounding the sport continues to fall short. In many cases, it’s lagged behind and has been deprioritized, especially compared to men’s basketball.

 

"Does anybody who makes these decisions ever ask the coaches and the players, 'Hey, does this work? Do you guys do this during the regular season? Is this normal?'" 

 

It’s impossible to talk about shortcomings in college basketball without mentioning the weight room disparities between women’s and men’s weight rooms during the 2021 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournaments. The viral photos comparing the men’s robust fitness facilities and the women’s minimal, lackluster equipment sparked national outrage. What followed was an NCAA Gender Equity Review that confirmed what many already knew: systemic underinvestment, unequal resource allocation, and decision-making that consistently positioned women’s basketball as an afterthought.

This review and its results prompted the NCAA to implement reforms to improve the experience and visibility of women’s basketball – including signing a new media rights deal and allowing the women’s tournament to use the “March Madness” branding for the first time in 2022.

While women’s college basketball has come a long way since those positive changes, Auriemma’s comments underscore that the progress we’ve seen does not mean we’ve reached parity. His words are a reminder that advocacy on behalf of women’s sports must continue, because the growth of the game hasn’t happened by accident – it’s happened because of intentional advocacy, leadership, and investment. It’s happened because individuals – like Auriemma – have spoken up on behalf of women athletes in the face of institutional failures. 

We know – definitively in 2026 – that when women’s sports have adequate investment, are made accessible, are marketed properly, are thoughtfully managed, and are treated as the premium entertainment that product they are, business results are undeniable. In order for women’s sports to continue to grow, it is imperative that leaders, players, and fans continue to ask questions that hold institutions accountable and set women athletes up for success. 

That’s what Auriemma did. His advocacy, coming from someone who has spent 40+ years building the game and has witnessed the trajectory first-hand, is exactly what the game needs to reach its full potential.

 

MEET CAROLINE FITZGERALD