WHAT DETERMINES ATTENDANCE AT WOMEN�S COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAMES? IS MEN�S BASKETBALL A SUBSTITUTE OR COMPLEMENT TO THE WOMEN�S PROGRAM?

ABSTRACT Even while participation in women’s athletics has grown tremendously since the passage of Title IX in 1972, interest as demonstrated by attendance at women’s sporting contests has not grown at the same rate. Using data from the 2011-12 basketball season, the level of attendance at women’s basketball games is estimated using various measures of team quality and institutional characteristics. In general women’s programs with high levels of success in terms of wins and championships draw more fans, not surprisingly. Also examined is the impact of men’s college basketball attendance and quality on the women. While programs where men’s attendance is larger, women’s attendance is as well, where men are very successful, the women’s program suffers indicating that men’s basketball, if successful, is a substitute for the women’s game, not a complement. Keywords Title IX, Women’s sports, NCAA, College Basketball, attendance