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U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, NWBA and NCAA Office of Inclusion Announces First-of-its-kind Paralympic Sport Inclusion at Women’s Final Four

By U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, NWBA and NCAA Office of Inclusion, 02/16/23, 1:00PM CST

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and NCAA Office of Inclusion today announced the launch of a historic wheelchair basketball exhibition and fan activation at the 2023 NCAA Division II and III Women’s Basketball Championships in Dallas.  

The effort comes as a result of the USOPC/NCAA Para-College Inclusion Project. The program, a partnership between the USOPC and NCAA Office of Inclusion, launched in Fall 2022 as a collaborative effort to engage schools with adaptive sport while simultaneously increasing Paralympic sport understanding, awareness and connection across the collegiate landscape. The work has been advanced by athletes and sport leaders representing the USOPC Collegiate Advisory Council, USOPC Paralympic Advisory Council, and various NCAA committees supporting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.   

“The USOPC and NCAA Para-College Inclusion Project is monumental because it marks the first time the two organizations have partnered at this level to celebrate and highlight adaptive sports and the amazing experiences of college athletes with disabilities,” said Felicia Martin, senior vice president for inclusion education and community engagement. The NCAA shares student-athlete stories through its many platforms and championships. We look forward to highlighting the wheelchair basketball exhibitions at this year’s Women’s Final Four fan events and the Division II and III women’s basketball championships in Dallas.” 

The wheelchair basketball tactical team, one of four groupings, identified opportunities to showcase the sport at marquee able-bodied events. As a result, the USOPC, NCAA and National Wheelchair Basketball Association will partner to create a significant operation during the upcoming 2023 NCAA Division II and III Women’s Basketball Championships to be held April 1 in Dallas, Texas.  

The event will include the inaugural celebration of the College All-Star Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team, which will be featured during halftime of the Division II and Division III NCAA Women’s Basketball Championships. This recognition will include a brief scrimmage against Team USA athletes as well as in-venue messaging on the sport’s pathway from youth through college, and to Team USA. The college all-star team will be comprised of current college athletes from all six of the country’s women’s collegiate programs. The two teams will also participate in a skills showcase with youth from the local wheelchair basketball club at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas on Saturday, April 1. 

Additional groundbreaking activities this Spring include crowning the first-ever wheelchair track champion at the 2023 Drake Relays and inclusion of wheelchair tennis events at various USTA and ITA championships. 

About the USOPC 
Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. The USOPC is focused on protecting, supporting and empowering America’s athletes, and is responsible for fielding U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, and serving as the steward of the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the U.S. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org. 

About the NCAA 
The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year. Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its student-athletes.  

About the NWBA
The National Wheelchair Basketball Association is the longest standing and largest Disabled Sports Organization in the world. The NWBA was founded by Dr. Timothy Nugent in 1949 to provide those with disabilities the opportunity to play and learn wheelchair basketball. The NWBA is currently in 42 states and has nearly 3,000 members and 225-plus teams. The NWBA consists of eight divisions, including: Division I, Division II, Division III, Women’s Division, Intercollegiate Men’s Division, Intercollegiate Women’s Division, as well as Junior 10’ (Varsity) and Junior Prep Divisions. For more information, learn more at nwba.org.

USOPC Contact:  
Annemarie Blanco, USOPC Communications, 7196466921, Annemarie.blanco@usopc.org  

NCAA Contact: 
Gail Dent, NCAA Communications, 317-917-6117, gdent@ncaa.org 

NWBA Contact: 
Matthew Torres, NWBA Communications, 914-224-7184, communications@nwba.org