Division I men’s basketball teams will be able to play two exhibitions against any other four-year schools without needing a waiver that required game proceeds be donated to charity under a change approved at the NCAA convention.

In a move to help close the pay gap between men and women in college sports, the NCAA will now pay Division I women's basketball teams who play in March Madness games starting this year.

Women’s basketball teams finally will be paid for playing games in the NCAA Tournament each March just like the men have for years under a plan approved Wednesday at the NCAA convention.

Beginning with the 2025 NCAA Tournament, women’s college basketball will finally receive financial “units,” just as the men’s teams have for years. Units are multi-million dollar payments the NCAA awards to conferences based on the number of games a given team plays in the March Madness tournament.

For the first time, women’s basketball teams will earn NCAA Tournament performance pay, mirroring a system long in place for men’s teams.