Pressure Is Mounting for NCAA Reform
- Basketball tourney drives NCAA’s revenue -- and its headaches
- Calls grow for reform and compensation for student-players
Luguentz Dort of the Arizona State Sun Devils shoots the ball during the second half against the St. John's Red Storm in the First Four of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in Dayton, Ohio on March 20.
Photographer: Joe Robbins/Getty Images
It’s hard to overstate the importance of March Madness to the NCAA.
The annual men’s basketball tournament, which kicks off in earnest Thursday, makes up roughly 80 percent of the association’s $1.1 billion in annual revenue. More than the college football playoffs, which the NCAA doesn’t own or operate, March Madness represents much of what college athletics aspires to be: An egalitarian, three-week event featuring future pro stars, where teams from schools with tiny budgets can shock those that are 20 times richer.