After playing second fiddle to their female counterparts during last year’s March Madness run, can the men reclaim the spotlight as television’s marquee attraction during this year’s national championship tournaments?

The answer is in question, which says something about how women’s college basketball has progressed without Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and an undefeated South Carolina team. Those three forces — especially Ms. Clark’s unprecedented college career — were key to the women’s 2024 NCAA Championship Game drawing more television viewers than the men’s title game for the first time.