The NCAA Board of Governors on Thursday unanimously approved $25 million in additional funding for Division I that will be put toward the creation of the women's basketball distribution funds.
The women's basketball funds — which were introduced as a proposal Tuesday by the Division I Board of Directors — will be considered in a Division I membership vote in January at the 2025 NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. If approved, programs participating in the 2025 Division I Women's Basketball Championship will begin earning "units" that will be paid out to their conferences starting in 2026.
"Investing in women's sports is a priority for the NCAA and for the Board of Governors," said Linda Livingstone, chair of the board and president at Baylor. "Women's sports — and women's basketball in particular — have seen an incredible trajectory in popularity in recent years, and these distribution funds for women's basketball performance should continue to encourage campus and conference-level investment in the women's game to continue that growth."
The increase in distributions to Division I for the women's basketball funds was recommended by the Board of Governors Finance and Audit Committee in late July.
Diversity, equity and inclusion committees
At the recommendation of the NCAA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committees Review Working Group, the Board of Governors directed the governance bodies in all three NCAA divisions to pursue the legislative changes necessary to restructure the existing four DEI committees into one all-encompassing committee focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts.
The more comprehensive DEIB-focused committee would replace the currently separate Committee on Women's Athletics, Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee, Board of Governors Committee to Promote Cultural Diversity and Equity, and Gender Equity Task Force. The four committees have reviewed the proposal and supported the proposal to combine efforts.
The new committee would be tasked with cultivating equitable and inclusive experiences for student-athletes at NCAA championships and throughout college sports and advising on DEIB-related policies, rules or other NCAA matters. Additionally, the committee would focus on supporting participation opportunities for student-athletes from marginalized communities and cultivating diverse leadership in college sports that reflects the increasingly diverse population of student-athletes.
"One centralized, unified committee will be more efficient and effective in efforts to promote the Association's core commitment to advance diversity, equity and inclusion," Livingstone said. "The NCAA remains committed to these principles, and this committee — which will include broader expertise on these subjects — will be a crucial contributor in the Association's work moving forward."
The board directed the three divisions to act on the recommendation by fall 2024 and establish the new committee structure by spring 2025.
Livingstone extended as Board of Governors chair
The board also voted to extend Livingstone as chair for the 2024-25 academic year. She has served in the role since August 2023.