Having Caitlin Clark, Iowa Final Four Game Late On A Friday Night Is Terrible For Everyone

Women's college basketball has a bona fide superstar and her name is Caitlin Clark. The NCAA has mostly done everything it could do to make sure she and her Iowa Hawkeyes are front-and-center at every opportunity. Which is what makes the Final Four scheduling so questionable.

Clark and the Hawkeyes defeated the LSU Tigers in a 2023 National Championship rematch on Monday night in the Elite Eight. The NCAA set up the schedule so that if Iowa and LSU met – which was everyone's hope – they would play on Monday night in primetime – with no real competition for viewership from other sporting events. 

That decision paid off in a huge way, as the game set the record as the most-watched women's college basketball game in American television history. I was there, and I can tell you that the atmosphere was absolutely electric. 

READ: Young Caitlin Clark Fans Revel In Chance To See 'The GOAT'

There's nothing that the NCAA can do about playing the Women's Final Four on Friday night. The men's Final Four games occur on Saturday, and they get the coveted Monday night slot for the National Championship game. That leaves the women's games to be played on Friday with a National Championship set for Sunday. 

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark cuts the net after defeating the LSU Tigers in the finals of the Albany Regional in the 2024 NCAA Tournament at MVP Arena.

(Gregory Fisher/USA TODAY Sports)

Friday is not a great night for TV viewership, in general. But the NCAA made an even more curious decision surrounding the scheduling. Rather than have Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes tip-off against UConn in the first game of the night – at 7 p.m. E.T. – they chose to slot that game second. 

Instead, the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks will face the N.C. State Wolfpack in the first game, with the Iowa-UConn matchup to follow. Given that these games generally take more than two hours, Clark and the Hawkeyes don't figure to start their game until at least 9:30 E.T. on Friday night, possibly later. 

There's really not a worse timeslot on the television schedule for the week than late-night on a Friday. Yet, that's exactly where the NCAA decided to put its biggest draw. 

It's a strange decision from an organization that is no stranger to poor decisions. But really, everyone loses when Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes aren't put in the best position to maximize their watchability.