Alleged stalker of WNBA star Caitlin Clark disruptive in first court appearance
The Texas man arrested for stalking WNBA star Caitlin Clark was disruptive almost as soon as he entered an Indianapolis courtroom on Tuesday, Jan 14. Making his initial court appearance for the case, 55-year-old Michael Thomas Lewis sat back in his chair and said âguilty as chargedâ while Judge Angela Davis opened the proceedings.
Lewis continued interrupting the judge until she told him to âstop talking.â He faces one count of felony stalking after he allegedly sent repeated threats and sexually explicit messages to Clark via social media. Despite several outbursts, the judge entered a plea of ânot guiltyâ for Lewis.
Prosecutors say the messages posted by Lewis on X âactually caused Caitlin Clark to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated or threatened.â In response, Clark âaltered her public appearances and patterns of movement due to fear for her safety.â
One message from Lewis to Clark read: âBeen driving around your house 3x a day. But donât call the law just yet.â Other messages contained elements of sexual violence. Police traced the IP address used to send the messages to an Indianapolis hotel.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears released a statement before the hearing. He said, “No matter how prominent a figure you are, this case shows that online harassment can quickly escalate to actual threats of physical violence. It takes a lot of courage for women to come forward in these cases, which is why many don’t. In doing so, the victim is setting an example for all women who deserve to live and work in Indy without the threat of sexual violence.”
Clark shot to stardom after leading the Iowa Hawkeyes to the NCAA Championship game in April. She is the NCAAâs all-time leading scorer. This past season, she was named WNBA Rookie of the Year after guiding the Indiana Fever to the playoffs.
Lewis said he would not post his $50,000 bail. However, should he be released, the judge ordered him to stay away from the arenas where the Fever play games and avoid contact with Clark. He faces one to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.
The world of sports certainly had its share of history-making events during 2024. So, like jolly oleâ Santa making his list and checking it twice, let’s look at some of the top sports moments of the year.
Kansas City Chiefs cement their legacy
We begin in February in Las Vegas, when the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl for the second straight season. They beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime, a back-to-back feat that hadn’t been done in 20 years. Yes, you can call them a dynasty. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also won his third Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award. Of course, when asked how he did it, he deflected to his teammates.
âI think it was where we started at. We started in Texas in the off-season,” Mahomes said. “Me meeting a completely new group of receivers and learning. Learning what they do well and what we could get better at and guys leading from there. The guys accepted the challenge. It was a crazy year, and we came out on top, canât ask for anything more from those guys.â
UConn’s new basketball dynasty
In April, the UConn Huskies went back-to-back. They won their second straight NCAA championship with a blowout win over Purdue in the title game. The Huskies were the first team to win two straight since the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007. Not long after the celebration, NBAâs Los Angeles Lakers wooed head coach Dan Hurley, but he chose to remain in Connecticut.
American Olympians shine in Paris
The summer was dominated by the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Team USA fared well and made headlines worldwide. They dominated during track and field events and on the basketball courts, where both the men and women beat the host nation, France, for the gold. There was also a little comedy and tragedy, from the âPommel Horse Guyâ to Raygunâs breakdancing routine. And, of course, there is no forgetting American gymnast Simone Biles, who completed her comeback by winning all-around gold in gymnastics. With 11 total medals, she cemented her legacy as the greatest gymnast ever.
âAll in all, Iâm super proud of my performance tonight and the fight that Iâve had for the last three years, mentally and physically. Competing on a world stage like the Olympics is an amazing experience and I couldnât be prouder,” Biles said.
Dodgers win World Series as Ohtani shatters records
Dodgers fans are certainly proud of what their team accomplished in 2024. Led by the incredible, game-changing superstar Shohei Ohtani, they won their eighth world championship. Ohtaniâs contribution: becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to have 50 home runs and 50 steals in a single season. Ohtani-mania peaked on Sept. 19 when he hit three homers and stole two bases to surpass both milestones.
College football begins major transformation
College football underwent a few changes in 2024. Not only are we still in the midst of the first 12-team playoff, but getting to that point was certainly unsettling for fans and schools alike. This was the first season without the 108-year-old Pac-12 Conference. Add in the transfer portal and the expansion of name, image and likeness dollars, and the sport’s landscape is now more professional than amateur. Arizona State head coach Ken Dillingham put it all in perspective.
“In todayâs landscape of college football, you canât blame the kids. Itâs an adult problem that the kids are just participating in,” Dillingham said. “Thatâs why everyone who leaves, Iâm supportive, everyone who stays, Iâm supportive. I just want whatâs best for our team, so weâll just take it one day at a time and see where we end up.â
Caitlin Clark puts women’s basketball back on the map
Finally, there was no bigger story in 2024 than womenâs basketball star Caitlin Clark. She set the NCAA all-time scoring record, men or women, while leading the Iowa Hawkeyes to the national women’s college basketball title game. She came to symbolize the emergence of womenâs sports and society’s gender debate. Few athletes have entered the professional ranks with bigger expectations and scrutiny. Despite that, she set multiple rookie records while leading the Indiana Fever to the WNBA playoffs. On Tuesday, Dec. 24, Clark was named AP Female Athlete of the Year for her play and for leading the WNBA to viewership and attendance records.
âPlaying at home in front of these fans and seeing the way the young girls dangle over the rail and some are so happy, and people are crying, and you understand the impact that you have on peopleâs lives and thatâs whatâs so cool about it for myself,â Clark said.
Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women include Taylor Swift, BeyoncĂŠ and more
What do BeyoncĂŠ, Taylor Swift and Mexicoâs president have in common? Theyâre all featured on Forbesâ Most Powerful Women of 2024 list. This annual ranking highlights 100 women who are redefining power across the globe.
The list uses four key metrics to measure influence: money, media, impact and spheres of influence. For political leaders, factors like gross domestic product (GDP) and population are also considered.
Together, these women wield $33 trillion in economic power and unprecedented influence over more than 1 billion people.
Ursula von der Leyen tops the list
Leading the 2024 list is Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. She is the first woman to hold this position and continues to lead pivotal initiatives across Europe.
At No. 4 is Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexicoâs first female president. She was elected in June 2024 and is already inspiring chants of âPresidenta! Presidenta!â during her public appearances.
Entertainers making waves
Taylor Swift ranks No. 23, making history as the first musician on the list to reach billionaire status primarily through songs and performances. Right behind her at No. 33 is Oprah Winfrey. With a net worth of $3 billion, Winfrey continues to thrive decades after building her media empire.
BeyoncĂŠ lands at No. 25, solidifying her place among powerhouses. This year, she became the most Grammy-nominated artist of all time, with 99 nominations. Rihanna follows at No. 76, with a majority of her $1.4 billion net worth stemming from her Fenty Beauty cosmetics line.
Sports powerhouse joins the ranks
WNBA star Caitlin Clark rounds out the list at No. 100. At just 22 years old, sheâs credited with boosting the leagueâs viewership and attendance since being the first overall pick in the 2024 draft.
While the ReykjavĂk Index ââ a G-7 survey ââ cited in the magazine suggests public confidence in female leadership across business and politics is declining, the women on Forbesâ list are defying those odds. Theyâre breaking records and redefining what it means to hold power in todayâs world.
Girls participation in sports up, boys participation down: Report
Is the Caitlin Clark effect starting to have an impact on youth sports? A new report shows participation from girls in sports increased, while the number of boys joining sports teams declined.
34% of girls aged 6 to 12 and 38% of girls aged 13 to 17 regularly played at higher levels in 2023 than any recent year going back to at least 2012.
Many people from the sports world believe that Clarkâs time at the University of Iowa and in the WNBA played a role in the rise. Some said itâs similar to the increase among girls that happened in the 1990s when Mia Hamm was at the height of her soccer career.
As for the decline in boys participating, senior advisor for the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, Tom Cove believes boys are quitting altogether when they get cut.
âI would speculate thereâs an element to this that making teams has become really hard and more boys canât make the team, so they stop playing,â Cove said.
Cove also said some kids are simply getting priced out of playing sports.
The average amount spent on a childâs sport per season is $833 after expenses like special, travel for competitive leagues and equipment.
Caitlin Clark’s Olympic ‘snub’ reminds us the best athletes used to be banned
One of the most covered stories about the upcoming Olympics is whoâs not competing in Paris. WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark has been left off the Team USA roster in favor of more veteran talent, like Aâja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi.
But a generation ago, none of these women would have been allowed to compete at the Olympics. Neither would Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and the rest of the menâs team. Nor would golfers Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy.
These athletes are paid professionals and it wasnât long ago the Olympics barred pro athletes from participating.
The age of amateurism
When the International Olympic Committee (IOC) formed in 1894 to bring back the Olympic Games, it built the modern foundation on amateurism, a word derived from the Latin word for “lover.” The argument was that amateur athletes competed for the love of the sport, not money.Â
Former IOC President Avery Brundage claimed the “amateur code” prevented the Olympics from being “used by individuals, organizations or nations for ulterior motives.” Leaders of the Olympic movement would point back to the tradition of the ancient Games but the concept of amateurism was somewhat of a misnomer.Â
“They weren’t amateurs, they were supported in their training,” Olympic historian David Wallechinsky said. “If they won, even in the ancient Games, they’d never have to pay for a drink again for the rest of their lives.”
For Wallechinsky, Olympic fandom was in his blood. His father, author Irving Wallace, brought him to the 1960 Rome Olympics when Wallechinsky was 12 years old.
“I got to see the opening ceremony, a couple of events, and so I became hooked,” Wallechinsky said. “I wanted to read a book that had all the results and all the best stories and it didn’t exist. So I spent 2.5 years creating it.”
In 1984, Wallechinsky published the first edition of “The Complete Book of the Olympics,” which has served as a favorite reference book on the subject ever since.
Jim Thorpe’s amateurism controversy
Jim Thorpe, considered one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, is a prime example of the problem with amateurism. Thorpe swept gold in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics in the decathlon and pentathlon, becoming the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal.
Then in 1913, the IOC took away his medals for having previously played two summers of semi-pro baseball. Many other Olympic athletes had also played semi-pro baseball but weren’t penalized because they played under fake names. Thorpe’s crime was using his real name.
The athletes and host countries awarded gold in Thorpe’s place never accepted the results, insisting that Thorpe was the sole winner of these events.
The IOC eventually righted this wrong, reinstating Thorpe’s gold medals 70 years later and listing him as a co-winner. But he never lived to see that day as it happened decades after his death. It wasn’t until 110 years after the Olympics in question that he was reinstated as the sole winner of the decathlon and pentathlon.
Cheating the amateur code
Thorpe’s situation did not compel the IOC to ditch amateurism. The case to eventually allow professional athletes into the Olympics stretched for decades and involved nations continuing to skirt the rules.
The Soviet Union was one of the main offenders. Its athletes were state-sponsored and trained full time, despite claiming to be amateurs. Meanwhile, countries that followed the rules could only present students or true amateur athletes to compete against de facto professional athletes. The Soviet screen came to a head in the hockey rink, where they dominated against Canada and everyone else.
“Canada got really angry,” Wallechinsky said. “‘We’re the best country in the world at ice hockey, we’re sending amateurs and the Soviet Union is sending professionals.’”
The Canadian hockey team even boycotted the â72 and â76 Olympics over it. Then in 1980, the U.S. had its miracle on ice, beating those Soviet professionals with an amateur team.
“Finally, the IOC, sport by sport, went, ‘Okay, you can make money at the Olympics and still be in the Olympics,’” Wallechinsky said.
The Dream Team
The Dream Team marked the true death of amateurism in the Olympics. The 1992 Barcelona Games marked the first time NBA players could play in the Olympics and they did it with arguably the greatest sports team â of any sport â ever assembled.
The team included basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Charles Barkley. They won all eight games by an average of 44 points and coach Chuck Daly never called a single timeout.
The Dream Team helped grow the NBA’s popularity on a global stage. Three decades later, the WNBA is getting its moment.
With or without Caitlin Clark, in Paris, Team USA will strive for its eighth straight win, which would break the record for the most consecutive Olympic team victories in all Olympic sports. The women havenât lost an Olympic game since 1992.
Caitlin Clark’s $76K WNBA first-year salary sparks wage gap debate
Womenâs pay in professional sports is back in the spotlight after news hit that star player Caitlin Clarkâs new WNBA contract is worth $76,535 her first year. The questions being debated are: Are women athletes fairly compensated given their teamsâ lower revenue and ratings compared to the menâs? Or, is the pay gap too wide and paychecks should be leveled?
Clark is a record-breaking powerhouse in womenâs basketball, and she was just drafted as the No. 1 pick by the WNBAâs Indiana Fever.
She not only packs a lot of talent but she brings in record ratings with a nationwide fanbase. To close out her basketball career, her games shattered T.V. viewership records in both women’s and men’s basketball, drawing in nearly 19 million viewers in her championship game.
The game was the most-watched womenâs basketball game ever and the most-watched basketball game of any kind since 2019. That includes the NBA and its finals too.
Clark will earn a base salary of $76,535 for her first year, $78,066 the second year and $85,873 the third, with a fourth-year option of $97,582. The other top three draft picks will earn the same salary.
Meanwhile, the NBA’s first-round draft pick made $12 million last season, which is 157 times more than Caitlinâs first-year salary. Victor Wembanyama secured a $55 million four-year contract under which he pocketed $12.1 million in his first season, according to the athlete contract tracker Spotrac.
When it comes to salaries, viewership, attendance, and ratings, the NBA trumps the WNBA.
The leagues’ revenues are also a staggering difference. Last year the WNBA brought in $200 million compared to the NBA’s $10.5 billion. The Charlotte Hornets, who were the worst team in the NBA last year, made $269 million alone.
Popularity of the WNBA has spiked in recent years. The league’s revenue grew 200% from 2022 to 2023. Viewership also went up 36% and attendance increased 16%.
Even with these victories, the WNBA lacks profitability. Sales from tickets, merchandise and broadcasting deals are not enough for the league to stand on its own. The NBA actually owns half of the WNBA.
As for the rookie, the $76,000 is just a salary. Clark already scooped up major sponsorship deals in college that are worth millions. She is also sure to land more in the WNBA.
Money isnât where Caitlin Clarkâs head is at, though.
At a press conference on Wednesday, April 17, Clark said that at the end of the day, “basketball isnât the end all, be all.”
“I think our fans will come to find â whether theyâre new or have been Fever fans â how amazing this organization is, and how much they [Indiana Fever] care and support womenâs basketball, and they want to take it to greater heights.”
Dozens of jurors excused as Trump’s hush money trial begins
At least 50 possible jurors were excused after saying they could not be fair regarding former President Trump’s hush money trial. The armorer on the set of “Rust” is sentenced following the fatal shooting of the film’s cinematographer. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
Dozens of jurors excused as Trump’s hush money trial begins
At least 50 of the 96 potential jurors in the first group were dismissed after admitting they could not be fair or impartial in hearing the case. Additional jurors were excused for various other reasons.
This leaves about 34 potential jurors to fill out a questionnaire, answering 42 questions on topics including their media consumption and any connections to the former president.
Trump is facing felony charges related to hush money payments in 2016 to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts charged against him. Jury selection will continue today and could take up to two weeks, with the trial itself expected to last six to eight weeks.
Tax return: Biden’s earned $619,976; paid $146,629 in federal income tax
As reported on “The Morning Rundown,” April 15 was the deadline for Americans to file their taxes, including President Joe Biden.
The White House released Biden and first lady Jill Biden’s joint tax return, showing the couple earned nearly $620,000 in 2023, with $400,000 coming from the presidential salary. This is up from about $580,000 they earned in 2022.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden paid $146,629 in federal income taxes, an effective federal income tax of 23.7% https://t.co/b8FZ1550TV
The Bidens paid more than $146,629 in federal income tax, with an effective income tax rate of 23.7%.
The White House issued a statement affirming President Biden’s belief that “the longstanding tradition of annually releasing presidential tax returns should continue unbroken,” possibly referencing his 2024 presidential opponent. Trump did not release his tax returns while in office, though six years of returns were made public by the House Ways and Means Committee in 2022.
Reminder this Tax Day:
Trump wants to give his wealthy friends a tax break.
When asked if Trump will release his 2023 tax returns, a campaign spokeswoman told USA Today that the former president “has released more information to the American public about his personal finances than any candidate in history.”
Boeing defends aircraft safety before Senate hearing
Ahead of a Senate hearing on Wednesday, April 17, concerning Boeing’s safety, the company is denying allegations by a whistleblower about shortcuts in the production of its 787 Dreamliner and 777 aircraft, saying the planes meet all safety standards.
The whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, is a former Boeing employee who claimed that assembly processes put “excessive” stress on airplane joints, potentially shortening the aircrafts’ lifespans. He added he saw workers trying to get misaligned parts to fit by “jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align.”
Found guilty last month, Gutierrez-Reed received the maximum sentence for mistakenly loading live ammunition into a revolver held by actor Alec Baldwin on the Santa Fe set in 2021.
Baldwin, also facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, is scheduled for trial on July 10 following his indictment by a grand jury in January.
Report: DOJ to file antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation
The Department of Justice is preparing to file an antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster owner Live Nation, according to a Wall Street Journal report, with the suit expected as soon as next month.
While the exact details have not been disclosed, the Journal reports the DOJ would claim that Live Nation leveraged its dominance in the live event ticketing market in a way that undermines competition.
Live Nation faced scrutiny following Ticketmaster’s site crashing when Taylor Swift concert tickets went on sale in November 2022, with U.S. senators grilling Live Nation’s president during a hearing a few months later.
BREAKING: The Justice Department plans to sue Live Nation/Ticketmaster for running an illegal monopoly over the ticketing industry.
This corporate monopoly charges too much for tickets, exploits venues, and hurts fans and artists.
Live Nation merged with Ticketmaster in 2010, with the Journal reporting Live Nation now holds more than 80% of the market for primary ticket sales in the biggest venues in the U.S.
A Ticketmaster spokesperson replied that the company has more competition today than it has ever had.
Indiana Fever select Caitlin Clark as No. 1 overall pick in WNBA Draft
Caitlin Clark, known for holding multiple college basketball records, was selected as the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Indiana Fever at the 2024 WNBA draft Monday night.
The draft was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, marking the first time since 2016 that it was conducted in front of fans. Tickets for the event sold out within minutes of going on sale.
In February, Clark announced she was entering the draft instead of playing another year at Iowa.
Clarkâs record-breaking college career includes becoming the all-time points leader in menâs or womenâs Division I history and the all-time leader in points, assists and 3-pointers in NCAA tournament history.
Now, Clark is aiming to make more history at the professional level.
US to experience total solar eclipse for first time since 2017
Grab your eclipse glasses, America! We’ll get you ready for today’s total solar eclipse. And, more trouble for Boeing as a plane loses its engine cover during takeoff. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, April 8, 2024.
U.S. to experience total solar eclipse for first time since 2017
On the afternoon of April 8, millions of Americans are preparing to witness a total solar eclipse â a phenomenon not seen in seven years â during which the moon completely obscures the sun, darkening the sky.
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Fifteen states lie within the path of totality, the eclipse’s 115-mile-wide track stretching from Texas to Maine. According to NASA, 31.5 million people reside in the path of totality, with another 200 million within a few hours’ drive. This event is larger than the one in 2017 when 12 million people lived along the path.
Cities along the path are experiencing increased hotel bookings and hosting special events to draw tourists. While not everyone will witness the total eclipse, NASA says most of the U.S. will see a partial eclipse, though cloud cover may obstruct views in some areas.
Safety warnings advise using special glasses for viewing except during the totality phase when it’s safe to remove them, lasting up to four minutes in some locations.
The next total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States is expected in 2044.
Israel withdraws troops from southern Gaza as negotiators meet in Cairo
As the war in the Middle East hit the six-month mark on Sunday, April 7, the Israeli military announced it was scaling back its ground forces in southern Gaza, leaving just one brigade in place.
Israel has been gradually reducing its troop presence in the territory since the start of the year. According to the Israeli Defense Minister, the troops would be preparing for future operations in Gaza.
Hamas has previously stated it would only agree to a deal if it led to an end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Israel maintains that after any short-term truce, it would continue its mission to eliminate Hamas.
Lawmakers from House, Senate unveil bipartisan online privacy bill
The proposed legislation seeks to limit how companies can utilize personal information, enable individuals to opt out of targeted advertising and provide a legal avenue for people to sue those who breach their privacy.
If enacted, the bill would create a national privacy standard, surpassing any existing state laws and give Americans enhanced control over their personal data, including the ability to prevent companies from distributing or selling their information.
The incident, which occurred Friday, April 5, was detailed by the Department of Justice. According to officials, the suspect entered the building, made his way to the third floor, and was captured on security video spraying a liquid near the senator’s office door and igniting it with a lighter before fleeing.
The fire caused damage to the door and surrounding area, but no one inside the office was injured.
Sanders, who was not in the building at the time of the incident, issued a statement thanking law enforcement for their rapid response.
Boeing 737-800 engine cover falls off, forces emergency landing
A Boeing 737-800 en route to Houston was forced to return to Denver International Airport after its engine cover detached and struck the wing shortly after takeoff.
The Federal Aviation Administration, now investigating, said the Southwest Airlines flight suffered a malfunction while carrying 135 passengers and five crew members.
This incident contributes to a recent series of issues with Boeing aircraft, including eight events involving United Airlines over two weeks last month.
No injuries were reported.
South Carolina defeats Iowa, Caitlin Clark to win National Championship
This victory marks South Carolina’s third championship in the program’s history and distinguishes them as the first undefeated team to win the title since 2016.
Despite the loss, Clark achieved two records: most points in a single quarter of a championship game and the all-time NCAA women’s tournament scoring record.
Money Madness: 5 ways Caitlin Clark fever is paying off
Womenâs March Madness is full of stars this year but one stands out above the rest. Iowa standout Caitlin Clark is the must-see attraction, pulling more eyeballs than last year’s NBA Finals average viewership, the World Series, and nearly every college football game. The sports world is in the Caitlin Clark business and it’s paying off.
“Iowa was a great team but Caitlin Clark is the reason we tuned in,” NBA superstar LeBron James said.
As Iowa gets ready to take on UConn and Paige Bueckers in the Final Four, here are five ways people are cashing in on Caitlin Clark.
Caitlin Clark herself
College basketball’s all-time leading scorer has scored about $3.2 million in NIL deals this year, according to On3. Her deals rank fourth behind sports royalty offspring Bronny James, Shedeur Sanders and social media sensation Livvy Dunne. Clarkâs lucrative deals include Nike, Gatorade and State Farm.
Ice Cube also confirmed on social media that his up-and-coming BIG3 league extended a $5 million offer to Caitlin Clark, which would allow her to also play in the WNBA.
Gamblers are setting records with Caitlin Clark. FanDuel says the Elite Eight LSU-Iowa game was the biggest betting event of all time for womenâs sports.
The Angel Reese-Clark rematch drew in 28% more money than their title game last year, where Reese came out victorious. This time, Clark dropped 41 points, drained nine three-pointers, and moves on to take on another college basketball star in the Final Four, UConnâs Bueckers.
Attendance records
The icon-heavy womenâs tournament is setting records for fans in stands. The sellout crowds shattered records for the third consecutive season. Nearly 300,000 fans watched the first- and second-round games alone, a 26% increase over the previous yearâs peak.
Fans in Iowa City topped all other hosting sites and the Caitlin effect doesnât stop in college. The WNBAâs Indiana Fever is seeing a spike in ticket sales. The team has the No. 1 overall pick this year with Caitlin Clark headed to the league.
Getty Images
Ticket prices
Itâs getting pricey to see these female superstars on the court. Their popularity is pushing resale ticket prices through the roof. The average cost to get into the womenâs Final Four is $2,323, while the menâs tournament is taking in less than half at $1,001, according to Logitix.
Call it “Clarkonomics.”
TV ratings
Iowaâs Elite Eight victory over LSU shattered TV viewing records. With 12.3 million viewers tuning in, it wasnât just the most-watched womenâs college basketball game in history, but one of the most-viewed games in any sport other than the NFL this past year.
The Reese-Clark showdown topped the 11.8 million people who tuned in to watch USC great Cheryl Miller take on now-LSU coach Kim Mulkey in the 1983 championship.
ESPN has been getting a steal of a deal airing the womenâs tournament. They recently signed an 8-year extension worth $65 million a year, which Sportico said is 12 times the current deal’s average annual rate. The higher rate wonât take effect until next season when Clark will be in the WNBA. Meanwhile, CBS and Turner pay around $1 billion per year to collectively air the menâs tournament.
