Full Court Bias: Media Relations and the Gendered Framing of College Basketball in Utah

This study investigates gender disparities in institutional media coverage of NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball programs at six public universities in Utah. Using feminist theory and the depiction and reception framework, 48 press releases—previews and recaps—were analyzed to identify differences in article length, narrative depth, multimedia inclusion, and promotional content. Results revealed that, while some universities favored men’s basketball in both quantity and quality of coverage, others prioritized women’s teams or showed more balanced approaches. Even where word count was equal or higher for women’s teams, qualitative differences such as coach quotes and multimedia assets often skewed in favor of men’s coverage. These findings highlight inconsistencies in how universities represent gender through internal communication and suggest that institutional media practices may unintentionally reinforce broader societal inequities in sport. The study calls for increased scrutiny of athletic communication strategies to promote more equitable representation of women’s sports. Keywords: gender equity, sports media, NCAA basketball, feminist theory, institutional communication