Scouting NCAA underdogs | Gotham's new approach | Playoff hockey hits the ice

Knock knock, who’s there?

Looking beyond the Power Four

The NCAA’s Power Four — ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC — wrapped up their conference tournaments over the weekend, leaving a host of teams from less prominent conferences to battle it out for an invitation to the Big Dance.

• Former Pac-12 contender Oregon State won their first West Coast Conference tournament on Tuesday, as the No. 4 seed overcame major roster shakeups to secure an unexpected trip to the NCAA tournament.

• The Beavers’ late surge derailed WCC regular-season champs Gonzaga, who are in danger of missing March Madness for the first time since 2016 after falling in the conference tournament semifinal.

Big picture: While the NCAA’s frontrunners have topped the charts all season, automatic bids from smaller conferences and at-large underdogs have been known to put the madness in March Madness.

• ESPN’s Bracketology is projecting mid-majors Fairfield University (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) and tournament vets UNLV (Mountain West) to place as high as No. 11 seeds, while Top 25 newcomer South Dakota State (Summit League) could take No. 9.

• Three Ivy League teams are also eyeing a tournament upset, with Princeton and Harvard both sliding into ESPN’s at-large bid estimations alongside regular-season champs Columbia.

• Atlantic 10 tournament victors George Mason also pose a threat, with the Patriots clinching their first-ever NCAA tournament berth despite ceding the regular-season title to Richmond.

Bottom line: While it’s not always wise to bet against heavyweights in the opening rounds, emerging underdogs across the NCAA are embracing the spotlight — and welcoming the opportunity to shake things up after Selection Sunday.

Gotham shifts perspective

Gotham FC has set the scene for the 2025, dropping their official roster and new player-led leadership group on Tuesday as longtime USWNT defender Tierna Davidson takes up the captain’s armband ahead of Saturday’s regular-season kick-off.

• Davidson succeeds retired goalkeeper Michelle Betos as captain, heading up Gotham’s leadership alongside Jess Carter, Mandy Freeman, Rose Lavelle, and Nealy Martin.

Big picture: The 2023 NWSL champs saw a handful of big-name departures following last year’s third-place finish, prompting the team to adopt a more measured approach to this season’s roster rebuilt.

• “Change is normal in this environment, right?” Martin told JWS in January. “People have got to do what’s best for their career, but it hurts losing your friends on your team just personally, selfishly.”

• “Professionally, you have to take it in stride and see how all the new pieces can fit together,” she continued. “How you can highlight new people’s best talent in the system that you’re playing.”

Back in action: In one significant boost, Gotham removed forward Midge Purce from her season-ending injury designation this week, opening the door for the 29-year-old to return to the pitch for the first time since tearing her ACL in last year’s season-opener.

• The 2023 NWSL Championship MVP has tallied 16 goals in 46 career appearances for Gotham before sitting out the entirety of the 2024 season.

Bottom line: Once considered a superteam, Gotham definitely looks a little different this time around, but early-season moves show an interest in transforming steady consistency into a winning squad, with or without the star power.

Women’s sports ads hit new high

Skyrocketing viewership isn’t the only booming women’s sports statistic, with advertising making serious inroads as more brands buy into the growing market.

• Per a study by TV outcomes company EDO, women’s sports saw a 56% increase in ad effectiveness year-over-year in 2024, with 40% more ad impact than an average primetime ad.

Big picture: The spike in ad revenue coincides with the surging popularity of women’s basketball, among other sports, with ads surrounding the NCAA, WNBA, and Unrivaled experiencing boosts in viewer engagement and brand loyalty.

• Apparel brands like Athleta, Fabletics, and Skims all saw improved consumer effectiveness after partnering with women’s basketball players, based on brand searches and site visits.

More to come: With returns already on the rise, expect even more brand involvement as March Madness takes over the airwaves in the coming weeks.

• USC superstar JuJu Watkins has already racked up numerous NIL endorsements, starring in a commercials for NYX Professional Makeup, Degree, and State Farm.

Bottom line: The market is seizing the idea that women’s sports are good business, and with a seemingly limitless ceiling, 2025 could see the highest rate of return yet.

On this week's all-new Sports Are Fun! presented by Intuit TurboTax, host Kelley O’Hara hits the JWS studio to bring you the best and brightest in women’s sports — all with an extra side of fun.

• In the episode, O’Hara and crew are joined by Olympic diver — and Stanford Cardinal alum — Kassidy Cook for a deep dive into the upcoming NCAA tournament’s biggest names, most dramatic storylines, and sneakiest dark horses.

• "I'm a little worried about Notre Dame — I was expecting them to have an elite season," Sports Are Fun! co-host Greydy Diaz says. "But losing to Duke? Bro… Notre Dame on paper should have won that game."

• "I want to say UConn as well... I would love to see them walk away with it," Cook adds. "And like you guys said last week, Paige Bueckers doesn't have a championship yet, right?”

Watch more: "Will South Carolina Repeat?" on Sports Are Fun!

Playoff hockey hits the ice

The puck drops on the 2025 NCAA women’s hockey tournament tomorrow, as the country’s top 11 college teams compete for a ticket to March 21st’s Frozen Four.

• Wisconsin comes into the postseason as the No. 1 seed, tallying just one loss all season at the hands of No. 2 seed Ohio State — the tournament’s reigning champions.

• It’s a likely story, with either the Buckeyes or the Badgers featuring in every NCAA title game since 2019, in addition to duking it out against each other in both 2023 and 2024.

• Nine other challengers — including fellow frontrunners Cornell and Minnesota — will try to topple the reigning titans as the regional round gets underway this week.

Tune in: The path to the Frozen Four kicks off on March 13th at 7 PM ET, with all games airing live on ESPN+.

California battles Carolina for ‘The Real SC’

The NCAA is turning up the heat on the next two seasons of non-conference competition, with basketball powerhouses University of South Carolina and University of Southern California set to determine which team is “The Real SC” via a special two-game series.

• The acronymic rivals will first meet at Crypto Arena in Los Angeles in November 2025, before heading to Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina the following year, with event host Complete Sports Management moving both games to higher-capacity venues than the teams’ usual on-campus arenas.

Be there: Tickets for the November 15th, 2025 matchup will be available for purchase this Friday at 1 PM ET.

Quote of the day

Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman
on whether or not she’d ever consider playing her club soccer overseas.