Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer calls for change to NCAA Tournament format

It's no secret that Women's college basketball has reached an all-time high in popularity thanks to the likes of Cameron Brink, Angel Reese, and Caitlin Clark, but Stanford's head coach Tara VanDerveer thinks the current NCAA Tournament format doesn't do the sport justice.

When speaking to the media before Stanford's meeting against the No. 3-seed Wolfpack in the Portland 4 regional semifinal , VanDerveer made the case that the sport has "grown so fast that we haven't necessarily kept up with every single change." She elaborated saying that she isn't the biggest fan of the two-regional site, which was implemented last year.

Mar 8, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer directs a player in a

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

"I think personally it would be nice to be spreading this regional out," said VanDerveer per ESPN's Alexa Philippou. "I think that women's basketball, sometimes we make decisions, making them for two, three and four years out, then we're not in that same place. I think that four teams here would be great."

NCAA Vice President for Women's Basketball Lynn Holzman is expected to review the format after the 2025 season, but that may be too late.

"I don't know that we have it figured out yet, what is best for women's basketball," VanDerveer said. "But when we figure it out now, it might be different in two or three years. I think that's a little bit of a dilemma. I think we have to decide for women's basketball are we going to keep playing home sites? Are we going to go to one site, go to Vegas? Are we going to go to four sites? Those are for the powers to be."

VanDerveer also flirted with the idea of the units program, which is used in the men's tournament. Conferences are rewarded for winning the tournament by being paid.

"I think that'd really show how far women's basketball has come," VanDerveer said. "I'm someone that is in favor of that ... I think we're right there. It's evidenced by the support in this room, the national coverage of women's basketball, the ratings on television."

With the sport's growing popularity and television ratings as high as ever, in terms of media deals, women's basketball may be holding itself back.