The NCAA Board of Governors on Thursday unanimously approved $25 million in additional funding for Division I to be used to create distribution funds for women’s basketball.

The funds for women’s basketball — introduced as a proposal by the Division I Board of Governors on Tuesday — will be considered in a vote by Division I members in January at the 2025 NCAA convention in Nashville, Tenn. If approved, programs participating in the 2025 Division I Women’s Basketball Championship will begin earning “units” that will be paid to their conferences beginning in 2026.

“Investing in women’s sports is a priority for the NCAA and the Board of Regents,” said Linda Livingstone, chair of the Board of Regents and Baylor President. “Women’s sports – and women’s basketball in particular – have experienced an incredible rise in popularity in recent years, and these distribution funds for women’s basketball performance should continue to encourage investment at the campus and conference level in women’s sports to continue that growth.”

The increase in distributions to Division I from the women’s basketball funds was recommended by the Finance and Audit Committee of the Board of Governors in late July.

Committees for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

Following the recommendation of the NCAA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committees Review Working Group, the Board of Directors directed the governing bodies of all three divisions of the NCAA to make the necessary legislative changes to restructure the existing four DEI committees into one all-encompassing committee focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts.

The broader DEIB-focused committee would replace the currently separate Committee on Women’s Sports, the Committee on Minority Opportunities and Interests, the Board Committee on Cultural Diversity and Equality and the Task Force on Gender Equality. The four committees have reviewed the proposal and support the idea of ​​combining their efforts.

The new committee would be tasked with creating fair and inclusive experiences for student-athletes at NCAA championships and across collegiate sports and advising on DEIB-related policies, rules or other NCAA matters. In addition, the committee would focus on supporting participation opportunities for student-athletes from marginalized groups and promoting diverse leadership in collegiate sports that reflects the increasingly diverse population of student-athletes.

“A central, unified committee will be more efficient and effective in advancing the association’s core commitment to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion,” Livingstone said. “The NCAA remains committed to these principles, and this committee – which will have greater expertise on these issues – will be a critical contributor to the association’s future work.”

The Board instructed the three departments to implement the recommendation by autumn 2024 and to set up the new committee structure by spring 2025.

Livingstone remains Chairman of the Board of Governors

The board also voted to extend Livingstone’s term as chair for the 2024-25 academic year, a role she will serve from August 2023.