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NBC Sports
20-03-2025
- Business
- NBC Sports
March Madness offers same perks for South Carolina and Columbia. That includes new money for women
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The Columbia women's basketball team plays in an intimate 2,700-seat gym nestled in Manhattan that is nowhere to be found on the national sports landscape. Now the Lions and all the other starry-eyed dreamers in the NCAA Tournament are being serenaded just like former national champions UConn, South Carolina or Tennessee. And this year, they're all getting paid to be there. The star treatment this year goes beyond charter flights, hotel accommodations and coveted swag. For the first time, women's teams are getting an individual share of the profits, a perk men's teams have enjoyed for years. 'It should be this way. We should be able to fly charter,' said UNC Greensboro coach Trina Patterson, whose Spartans will take a charter flight to play a game for the first time. 'We are all playing in the same March Madness, the treatment for the men and women should be equal. We get a unit!' That's correct, each women's team in the tournament will get a 'unit' — money that is paid to conferences when one of its teams appears in the NCAA Tournament. The formula and definition of a unit can be complicated, but the bottom line is conferences will receive $113,000 for each game one of its women's team plays in the tournament. Columbia reached the tournament last year, but neither the Lions nor the Ivy League received money for the appearance. 'You got to start somewhere and I think we've been so far behind,' said Columbia coach Megan Griffith. 'I think of Sedona Prince and it's really cool to see that she's still able to play at a high level on a big stage. This is more like the whipped cream. I think the cherry on top is going to keep coming, but this it's really good so far.' Prince's video from 2020 that shed light on the inequalities between the men's and women's tournament helped spearhead change in the tournament. Patterson is now with UNCG but she knows what its like to be one of the marquee teams. She played at Virginia in the 1980s when Geno Auriemma was an assistant at the school. Patterson then went on to be an assistant coach at Stanford for a few years under Tara VanDerveer. Her 16th-seeded team will enjoy the comforts of the cross-country charter flight from Greensboro to Los Angeles, where they will try to knock off JuJu Watkins and No. 1-seeded Southern California. It's UNCG's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1998. This is all new for William & Mary, which is making its first appearance but has the chance to earn two financial units. They are in the play-in game against High Point with the winner facing No. 1 seed Texas. 'It should have always been that way. Women's basketball has been fighting for equality for a very long time,' said William & Mary coach Erin Dickerson Davis, who was the associate head coach at Wake Forest, an assistant at Georgetown and has also coached at Towson, Illinois State, La Salle and Furman. 'I've been in this business for many, many years,' Davis said. 'I played college basketball, it's a long time coming.' It is the Tribe's first trip to March Madness in either men's or women's basketball. 'Everyone is so excited about the experience, going from the bus directly to the plane, everyone was so happy,' Davis said. 'Yes, we're here on a business trip and we want to win. But just to be able to have these experiences for them that no one has done at William & Mary is special.' Several of the players at Columbia can relate. They aren't in Chapel Hill for spring break. They are here to win. But that doesn't mean they aren't taking time to enjoy the moment. 'It was cool going to the charter and we've been taking it all in,' junior Perri Page said. 'But it's a business trip and we have a goal in mind.' The Lions' schedule has mirrored most schools' travel itinerary. There was the building anticipation on the bus ride from their New York campus to Newark Airport for their pride-filled one-hour charter flight to Chapel Hill and the giddiness that comes with picking up that tournament swag. Yes, there is a game to be played. A pretty big one at that. But what a ride to get here — with a paycheck looming to top it off. 'We've been enjoying the whole season,' Page said, adding, 'It's great we can make money for the school now.' Patterson, the former Virginia Cavalier, Stanford Cardinal and now UNCG Spartan summed it up when she said: 'It's great for women's basketball.'
The Independent
20-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
March Madness offers same perks for South Carolina and Columbia. That includes new money for women
The Columbia women's basketball team plays in an intimate 2,700-seat gym nestled in Manhattan that is nowhere to be found on the national sports landscape. Now the Lions and all the other starry-eyed dreamers in the NCAA Tournament are being serenaded just like former national champions UConn, South Carolina or Tennessee. And this year, they're all getting paid to be there. The star treatment this year goes beyond charter flights, hotel accommodations and coveted swag. For the first time, women's teams are getting an individual share of the profits, a perk men's teams have enjoyed for years. 'It should be this way. We should be able to fly charter,' said UNC Greensboro coach Trina Patterson, whose Spartans will take a charter flight to play a game for the first time. 'We are all playing in the same March Madness, the treatment for the men and women should be equal. We get a unit!" That's correct, each women's team in the tournament will get a 'unit' — money that is paid to conferences when one of its teams appears in the NCAA Tournament. The formula and definition of a unit can be complicated, but the bottom line is conferences will receive $113,000 for each game one of its women's team plays in the tournament. Columbia reached the tournament last year, but neither the Lions nor the Ivy League received money for the appearance. 'You got to start somewhere and I think we've been so far behind,' said Columbia coach Megan Griffith. 'I think of Sedona Prince and it's really cool to see that she's still able to play at a high level on a big stage. This is more like the whipped cream. I think the cherry on top is going to keep coming, but this it's really good so far." Prince's video from 2020 that shed light on the inequalities between the men's and women's tournament helped spearhead change in the tournament. Patterson is now with UNCG but she knows what its like to be one of the marquee teams. She played at Virginia in the 1980s when Geno Auriemma was an assistant at the school. Patterson then went on to be an assistant coach at Stanford for a few years under Tara VanDerveer. Her 16th-seeded team will enjoy the comforts of the cross-country charter flight from Greensboro to Los Angeles, where they will try to knock off JuJu Watkins and No. 1-seeded Southern California. It's UNCG's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1998. This is all new for William & Mary, which is making its first appearance but has the chance to earn two financial units. They are in the play-in game against High Point on Thursday with the winner facing No. 1 seed Texas. 'It should have always been that way. Women's basketball has been fighting for equality for a very long time,' said William & Mary coach Erin Dickerson Davis, who was the associate head coach at Wake Forest, an assistant at Georgetown and has also coached at Towson, Illinois State, La Salle and Furman. 'I've been in this business for many, many years," Davis said. "I played college basketball, it's a long time coming." It is the Tribe's first trip to March Madness in either men's or women's basketball. 'Everyone is so excited about the experience, going from the bus directly to the plane, everyone was so happy,' Davis said. 'Yes, we're here on a business trip and we want to win. But just to be able to have these experiences for them that no one has done at William & Mary is special.' Several of the players at Columbia can relate. They aren't in Chapel Hill for spring break. They are here to win. But that doesn't mean they aren't taking time to enjoy the moment. 'It was cool going to the charter and we've been taking it all in,' junior Perri Page said. 'But it's a business trip and we have a goal in mind.' The Lions' schedule this week has mirrored most schools' travel itinerary. There was the building anticipation on the bus ride from their New York campus to Newark Airport for their pride-filled one-hour charter flight to Chapel Hill and the giddiness that comes with picking up that tournament swag on Wednesday. Yes, there is a game to be played Thursday night. A pretty big one at that. But what a ride to get here — with a paycheck looming to top it off. 'We've been enjoying the whole season," Page said, adding, 'It's great we can make money for the school now.' Patterson, the former Virginia Cavalier, Stanford Cardinal and now UNCG Spartan summed it up when she said: 'It's great for women's basketball.' ___ The Associated Press' women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at ___ AP March Madness: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
Associated Press
20-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
March Madness offers same perks for South Carolina and Columbia. That includes new money for women
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — The Columbia women's basketball team plays in an intimate 2,700-seat gym nestled in Manhattan that is nowhere to be found on the national sports landscape. Now the Lions and all the other starry-eyed dreamers in the NCAA Tournament are being serenaded just like former national champions UConn, South Carolina or Tennessee. And this year, they're all getting paid to be there. The star treatment this year goes beyond charter flights, hotel accommodations and coveted swag. For the first time, women's teams are getting an individual share of the profits, a perk men's teams have enjoyed for years. 'It should be this way. We should be able to fly charter,' said UNC Greensboro coach Trina Patterson, whose Spartans will take a charter flight to play a game for the first time. 'We are all playing in the same March Madness, the treatment for the men and women should be equal. We get a unit!' That's correct, each women's team in the tournament will get a 'unit' — money that is paid to conferences when one of its teams appears in the NCAA Tournament. The formula and definition of a unit can be complicated, but the bottom line is conferences will receive $113,000 for each game one of its women's team plays in the tournament. Columbia reached the tournament last year, but neither the Lions nor the Ivy League received money for the appearance. 'You got to start somewhere and I think we've been so far behind,' said Columbia coach Megan Griffith. 'I think of Sedona Prince and it's really cool to see that she's still able to play at a high level on a big stage. This is more like the whipped cream. I think the cherry on top is going to keep coming, but this it's really good so far.' Prince's video from 2020 that shed light on the inequalities between the men's and women's tournament helped spearhead change in the tournament. Patterson is now with UNCG but she knows what its like to be one of the marquee teams. She played at Virginia in the 1980s when Geno Auriemma was an assistant at the school. Patterson then went on to be an assistant coach at Stanford for a few years under Tara VanDerveer. Her 16th-seeded team will enjoy the comforts of the cross-country charter flight from Greensboro to Los Angeles, where they will try to knock off JuJu Watkins and No. 1-seeded Southern California. It's UNCG's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1998. This is all new for William & Mary, which is making its first appearance but has the chance to earn two financial units. They are in the play-in game against High Point on Thursday with the winner facing No. 1 seed Texas. 'It should have always been that way. Women's basketball has been fighting for equality for a very long time,' said William & Mary coach Erin Dickerson Davis, who was the associate head coach at Wake Forest, an assistant at Georgetown and has also coached at Towson, Illinois State, La Salle and Furman. 'I've been in this business for many, many years,' Davis said. 'I played college basketball, it's a long time coming.' It is the Tribe's first trip to March Madness in either men's or women's basketball. 'Everyone is so excited about the experience, going from the bus directly to the plane, everyone was so happy,' Davis said. 'Yes, we're here on a business trip and we want to win. But just to be able to have these experiences for them that no one has done at William & Mary is special.' Several of the players at Columbia can relate. They aren't in Chapel Hill for spring break. They are here to win. But that doesn't mean they aren't taking time to enjoy the moment. 'It was cool going to the charter and we've been taking it all in,' junior Perri Page said. 'But it's a business trip and we have a goal in mind.' The Lions' schedule this week has mirrored most schools' travel itinerary. There was the building anticipation on the bus ride from their New York campus to Newark Airport for their pride-filled one-hour charter flight to Chapel Hill and the giddiness that comes with picking up that tournament swag on Wednesday. Yes, there is a game to be played Thursday night. A pretty big one at that. But what a ride to get here — with a paycheck looming to top it off. 'We've been enjoying the whole season,' Page said, adding, 'It's great we can make money for the school now.' Patterson, the former Virginia Cavalier, Stanford Cardinal and now UNCG Spartan summed it up when she said: 'It's great for women's basketball.' ___
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Land' your own Blue Ghost with Firefly's moon lander building blocks set
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. As eyes turn to Firefly Aerospace's mission control for the company's first attempt at landing on the moon, some watching may notice small models of the Blue Ghost lander sitting among the consoles. As it turns out, the miniatures were not only placed there, but built there, too — and you can assemble your own. "The day that we brought those over, they were putting them together right outside of mission control," said Trina Patterson, vice president of marketing and communications at Firefly Aerospace, in an interview with "During the more quiet times during this mission, they have been putting the little Legos together." Although not an official Lego-brand product, the Blue Ghost Mission 1 Building Blocks Set uses Lego-like bricks to form a detailed 1/18th scale version of the robotic probe. Firefly worked with Business Bricks to produce the custom set. Created in part to support Firefly's Mission 1 outreach activities — for example, some of the kits are prizes in Firefly's "Moonwalk Contest" on the Player Epic smartphone app — they can also be purchased for $54.99 through the company's online merch shop. Related: What time will the private Blue Ghost probe land on the moon Sunday? How to watch live. The Blue Ghost lander, which was named after a type of firefly, left Earth on Jan. 15 and is slated to land in Mare Crisium ("Sea of Crises") on the moon no earlier than 3:34 a.m. EST (0834 GMT) on Sunday (March 2). Assuming a successful touchdown, the "Ghost Riders in the Sky" mission will begin two weeks of science using 10 NASA-provided instruments carried on board. Assembling the block-version of Blue Ghost includes piecing together several of those payloads. "It has LEXI on top," said Patterson, pointing to a protrusion from the upper deck of the model. LEXI, or the Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager, is designed to study the interaction of solar wind and Earth's magnetic field, which drives geomagnetic disturbances and storms. Also recreated in the build is LUGRE (Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment), a receiver to track GPS and Galileo navigation satellites throughout a full lunar day on the surface; NGLR (Next Generation Lunar Retroreflector), a mirror device to measure the distance between Earth and the moon; and RAC (Regolith Adherence Characterization), an experiment to compare the stickiness of lunar soil on different materials. Other instruments flying on Blue Ghost as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative but were too small to model, or are covered so are not visible, include a pneumatic drill to measure heat flow from the interior of the moon (LISTER); a lunar regolith sample collection demonstrator (Lunar PlanetVac); and a stereo camera to capture the impact of the rocket plume on lunar regolith as the lander descends. Lander components that are also recreated in bricks include the X-band antenna (installed next to LUGRE and NGLR); three solar panels, which provide power to the NASA instruments; eight reaction control system (RCS) thrusters; four shock-absorbing legs and the main engine at its base. Related: Private Blue Ghost lander sees far side of the moon in breathtaking detail ahead of lunar landing (video) As the building blocks set is configured specifically to the "Ghost Riders in the Sky" mission, Patterson said she expects other kits to follow as more Blue Ghost landers are launched to the moon. "It is definitely something we want to continue, moving forward," she said. The Blue Ghost Mission 1 Building Blocks Set is completed using an included sticker sheet, which add details to the solar panels, to the LUGRE and NGLR instruments (which is humorously labeled on the sheet as "Upper Antenna Thing," referencing its placement with the X-Band antenna) and Firefly's logo. One decal that is not included, however, is "Duckner." "We have a mascot at Firefly, and he's been all around. He showed up in a lot of our testing pictures," Patterson told collectSPACE. "It's a duck named 'Duckner,' and it is on the lander." "It's a little easter egg," she said. Related stories: — Blue Ghost moon lander sees Earth as a 'blue marble' from orbit (photo) — Watch Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost moon lander witness an eclipse from space (video) — Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander snaps its 1st photos of the moon (images) It is also a science experiment. The small image of the yellow rubber ducky is printed on a low-cost material to see how it handles the extreme environment of outer space. Duckner is affixed under the rim of the X-Band antenna, such that it can be seen in photos sent back by Blue Ghost."We need to get some stickers printed and add him to a later version [of the model kit]," said Patterson with a laugh. Follow on Facebook and on X at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
