My idea for 'Pat Summitt Classic' would set attendance record for women's basketball | Adams

I was immersed in college football when a basketball idea popped into my head in mid-October.

Iowa and DePaul had just played a women’s exhibition game at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. The purpose was two-fold: Set an attendance record for the sport and raise money for a charitable cause.

The result: a record crowd of 55,646 and a check of $250,000 made out to the University of Iowa’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder came up with the idea. No doubt, her star player contributed to the crowd.

Two-time All-American Caitlin Clark has ascended to folk-hero status in the state after leading her team to the Final Four last season. She’s so popular Iowans would show up to watch her shuck corn.

Iowa football might contribute to her popularity. A 30-point game comes casually for Clark, who has established herself as one of the sport’s all-time great shooters.

Iowa’s football team didn’t score 30 points against a Big Ten opponent this season and did so only once in 2022. So, the Hawkeyes fans hunger for points might have been a factor in the turnout for a game that didn’t count in the standings.

The game and the crowd gave me an idea. Why not stage a women’s basketball tournament next season that would draw a record-setting, regular-season crowd?

Women’s basketball never has been so popular, as the television ratings for the last Final Four would attest. Also, the game has more star power than ever.

Here’s my idea: Play a Sunday doubleheader in Caesars Superdome in November when the New Orleans Saints are on the road. Match up LSU and Iowa in one game, and South Carolina and Connecticut in the other.

You would have four good programs with large fan bases. You also could have Clark if she chooses to come back for another season. In fact, she’s making so much money in college how could she not return?

This isn’t one of my fantasy flights. I’m so serious about this I consulted Knoxville’s Maury Hanks.

Hanks, who has lived in Knoxville for 12 years, was a longtime NBA scout. His company, Global Sports, now promotes college basketball tournaments. So, I presented him with my idea.

“It has a lot of merit,” he said. “But I wouldn’t risk it. I’m not trying to hit a home run. I just don’t want to strike out.”

He didn’t strike out on Iowa. His Global Sports production on Saturday will feature the Iowa men against Florida A&M and the Iowa women against Cleveland State. The game will be played in Des Moines, near Clark’s hometown of West Des Moines.

“The games sold out in three hours,” Hanks said. “Caitlin Clark moves the needle. I haven’t seen anything like it.”

A Superdome doubleheader would be riskier. When you factor in the expenses – renting the venue plus paying teams, officials, and insurance – you would be well into six figures.

Hanks estimated the expense would be between $800,000 and $850,000. Only after you covered that could you start making money.

Nonetheless, someone with deep pockets might be willing to take the chance. And four programs of that caliber certainly would get ESPN’s attention.

Anybody with the slightest interest in women’s basketball would be attracted to the doubleheader.

South Carolina has become a national power and the dominant SEC program under coach Dawn Staley, who has won two national championships. Nobody has won as many national titles (11) as UConn’s Geno Auriemma. And allow me to repeat myself: Iowa has Caitlin Clark.

One more thing: LSU has Kim Mulkey.

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She led the Tigers to a national championship last season in just her second year. And she’s as good of a promoter as a coach. You would have thousands show up in the Superdome just to see what she was wearing.

Mulkey also was a great admirer of Summitt. So, I don’t think she would mind promoting the doubleheader as the “Pat Summitt Classic.”

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Pat Summitt Classic idea would set women's basketball attendance record