NCAA President Mark Emmert on Inequalities at Women's Tourney: 'It’s Deeply Disappointing'

NCAA president Mark Emmert called the unequal training accommodations at the women's NCAA tournament "deeply disappointing" and said the unequal accommodations should not have happened.

“It’s deeply disappointing," Emmert told The Athletic, USA TODAY and The New York Times Friday in an interview. “We want the student-athletes to have a great experience and feel appreciated as they are for what they’ve done. They’ve gone through an incredible grind to get to these tournaments. So anything that detracts from that is so disappointing."

While the men's tournament has a full weight room, the women's programs have access to six sets of dumbbells, yoga mats and a single stationary bike until the Sweet 16, according to The Athletic's Chantel Jennings.

Teams that advance to the Sweet 16 will have access to more workout equipment than they do now, though as Jennings pointed out, it will still be less than what the men's teams have in their weight room.

NCAA's Shameful Tournament Disparities Take the Spotlight From Where It Belongs

On Friday, the NCAA's Committee on Women's Athletics sent Emmert a letter asking the organization to investigate the unequal accommodations

"I write to express the committee's shock and disappointment over the disparate treatment in the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament and the inequitable availability of strength training facilities. This appears to extend to limited food options and other tournament amenities," the letter said.

"It undermines the NCAA's authority as a proponent and guarantor of Title IX protections, and it sets women's college athletics back across the country."

On Thursday, in response to public complaints about the different facilities, an NCAA representative told The Washington Post's Molly Hensley-Clancy that it didn't think there would be enough space for full weight rooms in the convention center. 

There also appeared to be differences in the food (a full buffet for the men versus prepackaged meals for the women) and in the gift bags athletes received. NCAA vice president of women’s basketball Lynn Holzman said Thursday that, "We fell short this year on what we’ve been doing to prepare."

"But let me be clear,’’ Emmert added on Friday. “This is a miss. The communication clearly should have been there.’’

Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball, released a joint statement with Holzman on Friday where Gavitt apologized for the disparity. 

"We have intentionally organized basketball under one umbrella to ensure consistency and collaboration," Gavitt said in the release. "When we fall short of these expectations, it's on me. I apologize to women's basketball student-athletes, coaches, and the women's basketball committee for dropping the ball on the weight rooms in San Antonio."