Why Filling Seats in Women’s College Sports Matters for Revenue & NIL
empty seats don’t generate revenue
Women’s college sports are having a moment , but are we doing enough to sustain it?
From record-breaking viewership during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and softball college world series to massive growth in social media engagement, the numbers prove the demand is there. Fans are ready. The product is exciting to watch. But walk into many college arenas during the regular season, and you’ll still see rows of empty seats.
This is a missed opportunity…not just for the athletes, but for the future of women’s sports.
In the new era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), audience matters more than ever. Athletes are now building personal brands, signing endorsement deals, and turning visibility into opportunity. But you can’t build a brand or find new donors in an empty stadium. And programs that fail to generate consistent fan engagement put their athletes , and their long-term viability at risk.
The reality is this: if women’s programs can’t demonstrate ROI through fanbase growth and revenue generation, they risk being deprioritized or even cut. That’s not fearmongering, it’s a reflection of how budgets are made in a competitive, resource-driven environment.
In this new era of college athletics, where sports are business, Title IX alone isn’t enough to protect us. And maybe that’s exactly the catalyst we need to take the women’s game to the next level: a shift from focusing solely on participation to building programs that generate real revenue.
So where do we look for solutions? Start local. Start young.
Parents already invest thousands in their kids’ youth sports, from club fees to gear to tournament travel. The youth sports economy is a $20B+ industry. Why not ask them to spend $10 on a ticket to a women’s basketball game? Why not make attending women’s college sports a normal, valuable, aspirational experience for the whole family and a part of the season.
Here’s why it matters: research shows that girls drop out of sports at age 14 at nearly twice the rate of boys. One of the leading reasons? Lack of role models.
When young girls see women compete, live, up close, and unapologetically elite, it gives them permission to keep playing, to keep dreaming. It keeps them in the game. And by getting them to games, we’re not just inspiring them , we’re helping to build the foundation of future fandom. That fandom creates revenue. That revenue sustains programs. And those programs create more role models.
It’s a full circle, and one we can control.
If we want women’s sports to grow, we need to build audiences early, intentionally, and locally. The opportunity is sitting right in front of us: young athletes, their families, and the communities that surround them.
Empty stadiums are bad for business, but they’re also a risk to the future of women’s athletics.
So let’s fill the stands. Let’s show up. And let’s treat building fandom not as a feel-good initiative, but as the smartest investment we can make.
How You Can Support the Future of Women’s Sports
Building fandom doesn’t require a massive budget — it requires intention. Here’s how you can be part of the shift:
If you're an athletic department: Prioritize marketing and promotion for women’s teams. Invest in storytelling, student outreach, and family engagement strategies. Help fill the stands — not just for big games, but consistently.
If you're a brand or business: Sponsor women’s games. Support NIL deals for female athletes. Offer discounted tickets to local youth teams. Show that your investment aligns with the future.
If you're a parent or coach: Take your athletes to games. Make watching women’s sports a habit. Let them see what’s possible.
If you're a fan: Show up. Share content. Invite a friend. Buy the ticket.
💡 At Women’s Sports Xcelerator, we work with athletic departments, brands, and athletes to build sustainable strategies that grow fanbases, increase visibility, and generate real revenue for women’s sports.
Growing women’s sports is a team effort, and it starts with filling one more seat, telling one more story, and backing one more athlete.
