Iowa Business of Women’s Sports panelists: ‘The time is now’ to capitalize on growth

Generational superstars like Caitlin Clark have spurred an explosive increase in the relevance of women’s sports in both athletic and economic realms, and it’s critical for the movement to strike while the relevancy iron is hot, speakers said at a “Business of Women’s Sports” panel discussion March 1 at the University of Iowa. About 200 people attended the discussion, hosted by the UI’s Tippie College of Business in the Iowa Memorial Union’s main lounge. Speakers included Anne Nizzi-Clark, Ms. Clark’s mother and director of the Caitlin Clark Foundation; Amy Wilson, managing director of inclusion for the NCAA, who earned a Ph.D. in health and sport studies from the University of Iowa; Carol Stiff, president and board chair of the fledgling Women’s Sports Network; and Jocelyn Monroe, vice president and head of marketing for the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The discussion was moderated by Kathryn Reynolds, a Tippie College of Business graduate and president/commissioner of Northwoods League Softball, as well as a former member of the Iowa women’s basketball coaching staff and a current radio analyst for Learfield Sports, where she covers the Iowa women’s basketball team.

Ms. Wilson opened the discussion by highlighting the legacy of Dr. Christine Grant, the first female athletic director at the University of Iowa, who passed away in 2021 at age 85. Ms. Grant made significant and lasting contributions to women's sports, including starting varsity women’s sports and leading the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. She was responsible for “building a program of excellence at Iowa” and became a nationally recognized export on Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools and other education programs that receive federal funding. “And it wasn't just about winning,” said Ms. Wilson, who worked closely with Ms. Grant at Iowa for nearly two decades on equity issues in intercollegiate athletics. “It was also about giving young women the opportunity to reach their full potential, and to really blossom in their time here. What she's done here in Iowa, in many ways, is a legacy that will be remembered forever.” No one in American sports was a more prominent Title IX expert than Ms. Grant, Ms. Wilson said. “If we had $1 for every person she taught about how Title IX athletics works, we could build a whole new building here on campus,” she said. “When you heard her speak about Title IX, you could literally hear a pin drop in the room. People knew she had facts, she know she was talking about. And her message was this: Are we really making progress? Are we really seeing girls and women get where they need to be in sport?” Ms. Wilson also discussed the “House settlement,” a lawsuit against the NCAA named for former college athlete Grant House. As part of a proposed settlement of the lawsuit, former men’s and women’s college athletes who played between June 2016 and September 2024 are set to receive more than $2.8 billion over the next 10 years as part of an argument they didn’t get their “fair share” of college sports revenue during their playing careers. A final ruling on the settlement is set for April 7. “I think there’s some good things that can come out of the settlement,” Ms. Wilson said. “It actually takes away scholarship limits, so I think at a lot of schools, women can actually end up getting more scholarships.” Ms. Nizzi-Clark said the Clark family attempted to maintain a moderately normal family life as Caitlin Clark, whose two brothers are also athletically active, rose to increasing prominence. Having worked nearly three decades in product development and marketing, Ms. Nizzi-Clark said she was keenly aware of the need to keep abreast of the opportunities that continued to come her way. “I was hearing what businesses were starting to think about,” Ms. Nizzi-Clark said. “We just [said] ‘Caitlin, you should start your own business. And she's like, ‘Yeah, I sure should.’ What was really important to us is that she had ownership. This was her journey, and that was super important to us to make that really clear. She's the sole owner of her company, and she's the CEO. Even before I came here tonight to speak, I had to call up the boss and say now, with this opportunity, she has to check the box and say, ‘yeah, we'll do that.’ We really try to teach her that she's a business leader, and this has been a great environment for her to learn safely about how to run a business and how to be a great leader.” Even when visiting with lawyers and accountants, Ms. Nizzi-Clark said she sought to keep Caitlin’s priorities focused on school and basketball, but business matters were always part of the formula for the family. Even as a team of trusted advisors formed around Caitlin to keep her affairs in order, it was important for Caitlin's business to be a reflection of her values and goals. “It’s a hard balance for you as a parent, knowing everything that's going with the business,” she said. “But I didn't want to just be (her) business partner. I wanted to be (her) mom. I wanted our phone calls to talk about what's going on and how she was doing. We set up a weekly meeting that was business, and that's when we addressed all the situations, so the other talk could be about her as a person.”

Ms. Stiff worked at ESPN for 31 years, raising the profile of women’s sports at the world’s largest sports network, and now consults with brands and organizations that strive to support women’s sports through her company, Stiff Sports Media Consulting. She also discussed the challenges and successes of launching the Women’s Sports Network, the first advertising-supported channel dedicated to women's sports, including broadcasting partnerships with the Northwoods Softball League and the National Women’s Soccer League. She said businesses are continuing to devote more financial resources to female athlete endorsements and women’s sports advertising, because they’re increasingly seeing the value of those investments. “With regard to advertising, I still don't understand why an advertiser would not want to be associated with a female athlete that stays in college, that graduates, gives back to society, signs a lot of autographs,” Ms. Stiff said. “It's one thing that's been lacking in women's sports, but we're finally starting to see it, and we're seeing it from big corporations.” As professional women’s leagues continue to emerge in sports like soccer and basketball, the time is now to harness the potential of female athletes in general, Ms. Stiff said. “People had better get on the ship,” she said. “The time is now, and you can get in and prosper.”

Ms. Monroe noted that a new stadium for the women's soccer team she represents, the  Kansas City Current, opened in March 2024 as the nation’s first sports facility dedicated exclusively to a single women’s professional team. It’s a critical development for the legitimacy of women’s sports, which historically have had to share facilities with one or more other teams. “Every women's professional sports team should expect to have their own home and their own space,” Ms. Monroe said. She told the story of a 19-year-old team member who’s playing in her first professional season, “who knows nothing else,” and another player who recently retired and “went through the whole journey.” “To have those two people who walk into their own locker room for the first time and just be able to put their bags down, see their names on their locker – this is what every professional athlete deserves, male or female,” she said. “It’s been an amazing ride for us.” Panelists also discussed a number of other opportunities, including the emergence of new NCAA women’s sports such as wrestling and flag football, and the NCAA’s negotiation of a new contract with ESPN, which will triple the network’s coverage of women’s sports. Ms. Nizzi-Clark also discussed the Caitlin Clark Foundation’s efforts on both a national and local level, including recent $22,000 donations to a number of Iowa City-area organizations as part of the recent ceremony celebrating the retirement of Caitlin’s jersey number 22. Ms. Monroe said broad-based support will be required for women’s sports to continue its transcendent growth curve. “We need our male fans to be there as well,” she said. “For so long, it was just the women doing their sports. But we are providing an excellent product, and we need the entire fan base to be part of that whole economic system that supports women’s sports, because that's how it continues to grow and get reinvested.” The panel discussion was presented with support from the Dore/Tippie Women’s Leadership Fund, the Natalie Costello Fund, the Pearson Leadership Lecture Series and the Bowen Lecture Series.