Ep170: Lynn Holzman NCAA, Vice President for Women's Basketball 

June 13, 2024
Lynn Holzman returned to the NCAA in February 2018 as the vice president of women’s basketball. She is responsible for the strategic direction, oversight, operations, and management of women’s basketball in Divisions I, II and III. She serves as the primary liaison to the women’s basketball committees and provides strategic oversight of the site-selection process for each championship. In 2014, Holzman was appointed commissioner of the West Coast Conference after serving in various leadership roles within the conference office, including executive senior associate commissioner/chief operating officer and senior associate commissioner of governance and administration. Before her conference office tenure, she worked at the NCAA national office for 16 years, last serving as a director of academic and membership affairs. 

Holzman serves on various Boards, such as the Board of Directors of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, Kay Yow Cancer Fund and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. She has also served on numerous other Boards such as Women Leaders in College Sports, San Jose Sports Authority, National Association for Athletics Compliance and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Center for Research in Intercollegiate Athletics. 

Holzman earned her Bachelor of Science and secondary major degrees at Kansas State University where she was captain of the women's basketball team and a three-time Academic All-Big Eight Team member. She also earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a Master of Business Administration from Purdue University. 

Lynn discusses with host Elizabeth Emery some changes coming up in the March Madness site-selection process, how she ended up working on the administrative side of sports, consequences of the pandemic on women’s sports, the importance of sport for player and fans, the NCAA equity report that came out after Sedona Prince’s weight room TikTok in 2021, and being a natural introvert but learning how to use her voice.

City Club of Cleveland, Growth of the Game, An Inside Look at Cleveland’s Hosting of the NCAA Women’s Final Four
Women’s Sports Fundation panel at Hawken during the Final Four weekend in Cleveland.
NCAA March Madness on IG
NCAA Gender Equity report conducted by law firm Kaplan Hecker & Fink. Read the reports HERE.
Sedona Prince video about the NCAA March Madness men & women’s weight rooms. March 2021.
Caitlin Clark on Saturday Night Live calling out Michael Che for his previous negative comments about Women’s basketball. 🤣
NCAA Women's Basketball to Use March Madness Branding Starting in ‘22, Bleacher Report, Mike Chiari, 9.29.21
NCAA, ESPN extend broadcast deal 8 more years, espn.com, 1.4.24
WNBA orange hoodie
Jennifer Azzi, Las Vegas Aces-Chief Business Development Officer
Casual FC, your Angel City FC podcast
NWSL expansion bid update: Who’s in, who’s out, by Alex Silverman, Sports Business Journal, 6.11.24