Iowa women’s basketball fans remain beyond Caitlin Clark, proving long-lasting impact of top athletes

The GIST: Caitlin Clark has turned millions into Iowa and Indiana Fever fans, but we’re just beginning to see Clark’s lasting impact on her alma mater. Two years on, Iowa has retained much of that fanbase as it continues to sell out games and afford players celebrity status, per The Athletic.

• We’ve previously seen this in men’s sports, but it’s a relatively new phenomenon in the women’s game. Let’s explore the long-term effect of rostering Clark and other top NCAA athletes, especially as these athletes draw powerhouse sponsors to the college sphere. Class is in session.

The Clark effect: The Athletic reported that Iowa women’s basketball has already sold out all home games for the third consecutive season, noting those who became fans during Clark’s tenure — many of whom were young girls — have stayed and remained passionate.

• In fact, the school’s most-followed college athletes across Instagram and TikTok are current women’s basketball players. Its women’s hoops team has more Instagram followers (291K) than its football team (247K) or men’s basketball team (102K), and it ranks far beyond the second most-followed Big 10 women’s basketball team: Michigan at 47K.

The sponsors: Many sponsors that activated with Clark at Iowa have followed her into the WNBA, including Gatorade, State Farm, and Nike. But certain companies came in during Clark’s collegiate tenure and partnered more widely with Iowa’s program and players. In 2023, Papa John’s worked with the school’s NIL collective, while USCellular signed Clark’s teammate, Gabbie Marshall.

• Some brands stayed beyond Clark, like the team’s presenting sponsor, University of Iowa Energy Collaborative. After signing on as a partner during Clark’s historic senior season, the collaborative benefitted from in-venue signage and social media promotion through the 2024 season.

Zooming out: Yes, a transformative star like Clark is going to recruit fans, and teams will retain them after she’s gone — we’ve seen it with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls and Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. But what differs with women’s sports in the modern era is how young fans are following, which is largely measured by social media engagement.

• While Instagram skews older than TikTok, Gen Z and Gen Alpha fans are highly engaged with both platforms, and as Iowa demonstrates, they’ll likely keep following teams even after big-name athletes leave. Marketers looking to win over these fans should team up with women’s basketball teams, who clearly have clout with the next generation. Right at home.