basket ball player Sedona Prince has revolutionized United State In particular National Collegiate Athletic Association. He did so almost intentionally. It all started with a video she posted on social networks condemning, in a gentle and thoughtful tone, the inequality that women also experience in college basketball in North America.

In its March of last year publication, Sedona demonstrated the differences between the means available to women’s teams compared to men’s. Some photos that perfectly depicted the fragility and lack of attention that the athletes received from clubs made up of women, despite the fact that they were at the highest level.

this player University of Oregon He certainly wasn’t expecting his video to go viral around the world. Nor has it achieved the great achievements that it causes now. And far from that all this became effective and that he is still alive a year after the publication of those pictures on the network.

Now, his private complaint received a boost that was final until the declaration went into effect. Sedona has achieved the seemingly unimaginable that a country like the United States is promoting such important changes to the NCAA for women that it can be expanded to the rest of the majors. And even all over the world. A victory for equality in sport and a small step forward on a much-needed path.

The video that started it all

On March 19, 2021 Sedona Prince posted a video that he thinks needs all the attention in the world. It was his offer to justify that the photos were on all of his platforms, not just on tik tok. The player from the University of Oregon denounced that march madness Women’s, the most important college basketball event, occurred among the conditions of extremely important inequality.

That is why she recorded the differences between the bodybuilding room and the physical training room for boys, full of space, amenities, machines and luxury, with what they have for them. Only one foot with several dumbbells and a few more. This complaint, which was already widespread at the time, was answered by the NCAA with a statement that left many doubts and exacerbated the problem.

The tournament’s governing body’s response showed that the problem with this important difference was not an economic one. They wanted to say that it had nothing to do with a larger financial investment of Mad Marsh of Men, which was set up IndianapolisRegarding the woman who fell into it Saint Anthony. The excuse given was the supposed lack of space.

However, Sedona showed through his video that this was not the case. In the San Antonio facilities, right next to the training track and those feet with dumbbells they could use, there was a huge room that was empty and unused. So the excuse was dismantled and revealed. The player from Oregon concluded her video with a strong message. Anyone who wasn’t bothered by what could be seen in the video was also part of the problem and walked away from finding a solution to stop the differential treatment.

last batch

This video and this situation had a huge impact at the time, causing criticism of the NCAA leadership. Everything went when the NBA star Stephen Curry He decided to praise Sedona’s criticism and spread the post through his social networks so that his millions of followers could see it.

So much so that the NCAA president, Mark Emmert, commissioned an external committee to study the state of the tournament and the institution so that they could uncover more irregularities of this nature. They have verified that this also happened with the catering and food services they provided to the players and even with the Covid tests. But the final honor came five months later when a report was released by a civil rights law firm led by Roberta Kaplan More detailed discriminatory behaviour.

From corporate and NCAA broadcast contracts to a revenue-sharing model through an organizational structure that has fostered a nearly cultural program to normalize and perpetuate gender inequality between the two leagues. This 114-page report suggested a long list of solutions and began by acknowledging that Prince’s video was a catalyst that was heard and followed around the world.

NCAA embraces change

A few weeks ago, President Mark Emmert acknowledged in an interview that this video was very important in promoting all the changes that followed. Although he made it clear that some of the things said were not accurate, he had no secret that they were click This made them realize many mistakes.

Now the NCAA, which represents a total of 1,200 colleges, has made some major changes in recent months. The women’s tournament was officially renamed March Madness, something they had long refused to do, and moved from 64 to 68 teams, just like the men, who increased the number of participants in 2011.

The prizes and merchandise given to male players participating in the competition have been equalized and the effect on promoting the Women’s Championship will be similar to the Men’s Championship. In addition, synergies between the two sectors will be enhanced and joint meetings will be held on a quarterly basis to assess the growth of both. The number of team members was also equalized, as it was 11 for men and 7 for women. Both already have 10 members.

And if that wasn’t enough, Dan JavittThe first vice president of the NCAA confirmed that the spending gap, which according to the lawyers’ report was 35 million, will decrease significantly until the investment becomes equal. Women’s basketball players and coaches feel that these steps are long overdue, and the solutions are clear. Additionally, they show that there should be more investment in women’s sports.

The document prepared by the law firm concluded that the women’s tournament, whose broadcast rights had not been submitted to a competitive show since 2001, was undervalued. The amount they paid did not reach 42 million dollars, while it could range between 81 and 112 million annually. This is the challenge they set themselves for when the current decade expires, in 2024.

The changes have begun to take effect in recent months. However, some agents influential in the conflict maintain that they will not be completed until the NCAA changes the revenue distribution model for the men’s tournament, encouraging investment in basketball at the expense of the women’s. The NCAA distributed $168 million last year based on a formula that measures the success of the men’s championship over the past six years. The Kaplan report suggests that this money be distributed 50/50 based on the performance of the men’s and women’s basketball teams at each conference.

However, thanks to the video that Prince uploaded to his social networks and because of the huge repercussions it has brought about, all these changes are taking shape as they did in the famous March Madness in San Antonio. Within 48 hours, the women’s sector had new training facilities. Changed almost overnight after Sedona went around the world and even took part in interviews in global media.

Throughout this time, Sedona has received congratulations and thanks to the players, clubs, coaches and referees who have been hired as there are more games going on and even by new-arrived NCAA members because more infrastructure is needed after the changeover. But she only hopes that at the tournament in 2022, that long-awaited equality will be a little closer.

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