Student-athletes competing in the 2017 Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will receive NCAA mementos to signify the special experience of competing in a championship.
“Many student-athletes dream of competing for an NCAA championship since they were children, and we’re excited these young men and women have achieved that goal,” said Dan Gavitt, senior vice president of basketball. “We hope that the mementos not only allow them to remember their championship participation for years to come but also enhance the overall experience for them.”
Student-athletes who play in the Men’s and Women’s Final Fours will have access to a gifting suite. They will be able choose up to $350 worth of electronics, home goods and other items. Final Four participants also will receive rings, official Wilson Final Four basketballs, commemorative Lucite tickets, bench towels and Wilson backpacks. In addition, men will receive fleece blankets and bench chairs, and women will receive air loungers, a ball cube and a custom belt buckle.
“The student-athlete experience is paramount, and to be able to raise the bar with these mementos for both basketball championships is significant,” said Anucha Browne, NCAA vice president of women’s basketball championships. “We can hardly wait for the 2017 championship to tip off.”
Other gifts will include:
- Flash drives for all student-athletes at the end of each round in which they participate, including game video and copies of news conferences.
- Student-athletes from all schools competing in the tournaments will receive Fossil watches.
- In the First Four, men competing will receive apparel, hats and socks. (The women’s tournament does not include a First Four round).
- In the first and second rounds of the tournament, all men and women will receive apparel and hats. Men also will receive socks, and women will receive necklaces.
- In the regionals, men’s and women’s student-athletes will have access to a gifting suite in which they select their gifts, totaling a value of up to $100.
Participating student-athletes and schools provide feedback on the mementos every year, and the gifts are selected based on that feedback.
The NCAA also covers family and guest travel and transportation for participants at each Final Four, as well as a private brunch for student-athletes’ guests.