My wife makes a lot more money than I do. I am therefore qualified to speak about the relationship between men’s and women’s sports.
Last night, in front of a half-empty crowd at Purcell Pavilion (a lot of those who were there were Louisville fans), Notre Dame’s men’s basketball team lost to Louisville, 75–60. After the game, Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry expressed frustration at his fanbase for quitting on his program with things not going well.
Last month, in front of a half-empty crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa’s men’s basketball team lost to Minnesota, 72–67. It was arguably the low point in a season that’s led a subset of Iowa fans to call for Fran McCaffery’s head.
Here in Austin, men’s basketball attendance hasn’t dipped below 60% of capacity yet, but it’s made moves in that direction. At last week’s game against Alabama, a local healthcare provider put promotional t-shirts on three or four seats in each row. There were more than enough shirts to go around.
What do all these universities have in common?
Their women’s basketball programs are booming.
Notre Dame is ranked first in the country in women’s hoops. Texas is ranked second. Iowa is unranked, but the Hawkeyes are still riding the Caitlin Clark high. Football schools? Maybe. Women’s basketball schools? In at least Iowa’s case, definitely. Iowa sold out a 55–43 game against Rutgers last week. Rutgers is not the women’s basketball program it used to be.
Clearly, women’s basketball has pulled both fans and ability away from the men’s game. And with last night’s NBA All-Star Games widely panned, one has to ask: Is this happening across the board? Are the men getting worse at basketball as the women get better?
It used to be that women’s sports didn’t exist. Then, they existed, but in a really patronizing way. The government made schools do them, or—in the case of the state of Iowa—the ladies could only play on one side of the court. Now, they exist, and people like them. This last part is new.
Obviously, it’s not a bad thing that women’s basketball is thriving in this nation while Notre Dame, Iowa, and Texas’s men’s programs struggle to fill seats. But, for the sake of the interested parties, here are a few suggestions on how to hit back:
1. Demand tariffs on women’s basketball.
Suffering competitively against a superior product? Maybe you should try to make people pay extra if they want that product in their lives. If Fran McCaffery demanded the Hawkeye women’s team raised ticket prices, I don’t know how it would help the men’s basketball team win games. I’m told it works, though.
2. Demand the repeal of Title IX.
Again, I’m not sure this would help. Texas isn’t going to get rid of its women’s program just because the federal government makes it legal. But I bet it’d feel cathartic. Also, the removal of other parts of that law would probably make it safer for Texas to try to hire back Chris Beard. Safer for Texas, I mean. In terms of legal liability.
3. Challenge the women to a 5-on-5 scrimmage.
This is the funniest approach, and it’s the likeliest one to work. Imagine if instead of criticizing the fans last night and slapping that microphone, Micah Shrewsberry had said, “Hey Hannah Hidalgo, you think you’re hot shit? Let’s see you try to face up Markus Burton at the top of the key.” Now that would’ve gotten the men’s team some attention.
4. Call yourself a stay-at-home basketball program.
Again, my wife makes way more money than I make. And she’s a social worker. She’s not supposed to make any money at all! This hasn’t actively been a problem, but for some couples, I could see it being awkward. “Hey breadwinner,” she says, and then she laughs in my face, kicks me in the nuts, and tells me to clean the toilet with my hair while she helps some impoverished child navigate unimaginable tragedy. It can be demoralizing at times. For me.
Thankfully, we had a kid this fall, and with my wife returning to work soon (and getting a promotion), I get to call myself a stay-at-home dad. Running a low-earning college basketball blog is an unacceptable career for a young, married, childless man. For a guy in his 30’s who changes diapers while his wife’s out managing a team of therapists? Good for him for having a side hustle. Look at that man, showing up for his son and supporting his successful wife.
If men want to keep playing basketball in the face of all this female success, they might just need to rebrand. How can you expect LeBron to play in the All-Star Game when his primary job is making sure the LA Sparks don’t have to worry about the laundry?
Thank me later, Iowa and Texas and Notre Dame. Thank me later.
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