NCAA Women’s Basketball : Sharing Final Four Spotlight With Men Didn’t Help Cause

It was a grand experiment that failed. After only nine years in the National Collegiate Athletic Assn., the organizers of women’s basketball got what they asked for--to share a Final Four with the men.

Based on the results of the past week, however, most women’s officials are sorry they did.

The theory was to capitalize on the men’s Final Four, being held in nearby Seattle. Officials gambled there would be a significant media spillover--reporters who were assigned to cover the men would cover one or two games of the women’s tournament, which is being played on opposite days.

“It was something we probably had to try,” said Joan Cronan, Tennessee women’s athletic director. “We are probably getting broader media coverage, but we have to share that with the men.”

Auburn Coach Joe Ciampi, whose No. 2-ranked Tigers will face No. 1 Tennessee for the national championship at 1 p.m. today in the Tacoma Dome, said he doesn’t like the setup.

“I don’t like being here with the men,” he said. “It’s a showcase for these ladies, It’s going to be a lifetime memory. I opened up the Seattle paper this morning and turned to the first page and second page and third page and fourth page. Usually back home in Auburn, the fifth page is the obituaries. But I think we (women’s Final Four) had something on the fifth page.

“I’m excited about being here with the men, but it takes away from the ladies and what they deserve.”

Next season, the men are scheduled to play at Denver and the women are scheduled for Knoxville, Tenn. That may ease the strain on tourist services that the Seattle-Tacoma area has felt this week.

Tennessee’s band and boosters are housed in Olympia, Wash., “somewhere on the road to San Diego,” according to sports information director Debby Jennings. Because of massive traffic jams, it has taken them as long as 2 1/2 hours to get to Tacoma.

The proximity of the two tournaments has fostered comparisons--and some bitterness. Foremost among the concerns has been money. Kansas, last season’s National Collegiate Athletic Assn. men’s champion, made $1.2 million. Louisiana Tech, which won the women’s title, earned $35,000.

“Even if we win the $35,000 this year we’ll run a deficit just to get here,” Cronan said. “It costs me more than $50,000 to come here. I don’t think anyone is talking about parity. But our men, who lost in the first round of the NCAA’s, got $220,000 plus the conference share. And if we win we’ll get $35,000?”

Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt, usually cautious when talking with reporters, avoided the issue until Saturday.

“We’ve been very pleased with the media attention that has been given to the women’s Final Four,” Summitt said. “Now, if we can get them to give us as much money as they have print, I’d be very pleased.”

Regarding the gap between the payoffs, Louisiana Tech Coach Leon Barmore said: “I think it’s terrible and something needs to be done to get it straight. There’s only one national championship game on TV--we are on CBS and they (men) are on CBS. I know that we will not have 38,000 people, but I’m saying that gap has got to narrow--and I’m not talking about being equal or anything like that.

“But I am saying there needs to be a hard look at the value of our game, which I consider to be better than $35,000 for the national championship.”

Ciampi answered that with a question of his own. “What did the men receive when they were in their ninth year? That’s where we are. They are in their 50th year. Right now we are toddlers. I’m happy there is an opportunity to have some financial profit. But other than that, I don’t want to be in a position to compare us because we are not 50 or 60 years old yet.”

Summitt said women’s games must increase in attendance, which is slight compared to the men’s, before they have much financial leverage.

“We are growing, obviously not as fast as some of us would like,” Summitt said. “We are going to have to be patient.”

Final Four Notes

Today’s game will be televised live on CBS at 1 p.m. The teams have met twice this season, each winning once. Auburn (32-1) won the first game, 67-59, at home. However, Tennessee (34-2) won the second game and the Southeastern Conference tournament title with a 66-51 drubbing of the Tigers. Auburn Coach Joe Ciampi said the key for his team will be to control the tempo and play stingy defense. Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt, whose team has one of the country’s most impressive front lines, said rebounding is the key. The Volunteers are led by All American Bridgette Gordon, who averages 20 points and is the women’s all-time NCAA tournament scoring leader. The Tigers are led by center Vickie Orr, who averages 16 points despite limited playing time because of tendinitis in both knees.