NCAA improves women’s basketball tournament workout after inequality over

The NCAA has improved its weight training facilities for the San Antonio Women’s Basketball Tournament, with more equipment being brought into the conference center where the teams train.

Teams worked Saturday morning at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. In addition to nine exercise tracks, there are extensive weight exercises that now have heavier weights, six squats, benches, resistance bands and exercise balls, with everything socially distributed. There are also areas along the exercise tracks with exercise bikes, rowing machines, treadmills, yoga mats and upgraded weight equipment.

“It was great. It was fun. Everything we needed,” Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. “Our strength coach was happy, our players were satisfied. We appreciate the efforts.”

Dan Gavitt, vice president of the NCAA, apologized for the difference in facilities between men and women, acknowledging that the NCAA fell short. These differences have led some, including Dawn Staley, coach of South Carolina, and Geno Auriemma, coach of UConn, to say that the situation reflects the general inequality that women’s programs are accustomed to.

The National Collegiate Players ‘Association, a reform advocacy group that helped organize player protests this year, called on the NCAA to address inequality in its sports and adopt rules that require all members’ schools title IX must adhere to and enforce. compliance.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches, the men’s basketball coaching organization, issued a statement in support of the women on Saturday.

“The NABC stands wholeheartedly with our colleagues in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and women’s athletics students in the ongoing pursuit of equal opportunities,” said Craig Robinson, executive director of NABC. “Coaches and student-athletes in college basketball – men as well as women – have endured countless challenges and sacrifices to reach this point of an unprecedented season, and all deserve adequate facilities and championship experiences.”

NCAA officials told ESPN’s Holly Rowe that one of the issues was that the COVID-19 test area for women at the convention center took up a lot of space. Officials also said the large open space outside the practice courts for women, shown in photos on social media, was intended as a “holding place” for teams, while they waited for the courts to be purified.

The area that now has the extensive weight room is not completely fenced, but curtains have been installed around it.

Oregon player Sedona Prince, who attention to inequality Thursday on social media, Took to Twitter on Saturday to thank the NCAA for resolving the situation.

Social media is powerful. Thank you for all your support pic.twitter.com/YR5ZNwywv6

– Sedona Prins (@sedonaprince_) 20 March 2021

The original plan was to set up a larger weight room for the Sweet 16 by converting one of the practice tracks for that purpose, as fewer tracks would be needed at that stage of the tournament. The NCAA did not explain why the same facilities would not exist for all 64 teams, rather than the final 16.

Many of the exercise equipment now in use in San Antonio has already been ordered or is waiting to be assembled by the NCAA for the original Sweet 16 plan. Officials told ESPN that the NCAA did not accept offers via social media from various companies to provide equipment for the women.

Officials again said weak bags for men and women are equal, although some social media posts show a difference. Male and female players also have the same ‘virtual gift package’, where they can choose gifts.

As for the issues with food availability during the first few days that teams were in San Antonio, NCAA officials told ESPN that it was based on the service of different hotels where the teams are housed. The organizing committee worked with local restaurants to get different food for those who were dissatisfied.

Prince’s mother, Tambra, said on Saturday she hoped the NCAA would take advantage of this opportunity to be more proactive in creating equal rights for female athletes.

“Instead of enforcing rules that treat college athletes such as NCAA property, the NCAA may choose to enforce Title IX to ensure that female athletes in NCAA sports are treated fairly,” Tambra Prince said. “The reason this is not happening yet is because NCAA sports do not value equal rights for women, because they value the monopolization of university athletes’ name, image and likeness.”

ESPN’s Dan Murphy and The Associated Press contributed to this report.