Holy Cross Economics Professor Participates in WSJ Roundtable Examining the Gender Pay Gap in Sports

The Wall Street Journal



The average salary in the WNBA could rise to around $200,000 next year, whereas in the NBA, the average is about $7.7 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. What accounts for the financial gap between female pros and their male counterparts today?

The Wall Street Journal recently featured Victor Matheson, professor of economics at Holy Cross, in a roundtable discussion exploring the contentious issue of gender pay gap in sports.

A well-known economist studying sports and gambling and editor of the Journal of Sport Economics, Matheson agreed with his fellow roundtable participants on the need for change, and pointed to one important strategy in closing the gap. 

"The single biggest thing any person can do to promote pay equity in sports is become a women’s sports fan," said Matheson. "Go to the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia, watch some WNBA games on TV, or buy a ticket to see Coach Hutch's team try to win a record 22nd Big Ten Championship."

To read the full article, go to WSJ.com.