In 1935, a female athlete graced the Breakfast of Champions box for the first time. Olympian Babe Didrikson Zaharias is pictured on a General Mills Wheaties box smiling, holding a basketball and preparing to shoot.
She would go on to further fame as a multi-sport athlete and co-founder of the Women’s Professional Golf Association. However, the sports industry remained heavily male-skewed.
However, nearly 90 years later, the economic landscape has changed significantly. Women’s sports are on the rise, with increased visibility, fans, and TV appearances. That growing demand takes an interesting new step Friday with the opening of the Midwest’s first sports bar exclusively for women’s sports, and the fourth in the nation, in Minneapolis.
A Bar of Their Own is located at 2207 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis.
Nicole Neri of MPR News
a Bar of Their Own opened in time for next week’s Big Ten women’s basketball tournament in Minneapolis. Thanks to Caitlin Clark, a genius at the University of Iowa, Break attendance records. The conference said more than 109,000 people were expected to attend the Target Center over the five days, more than double the previous record set last year.
MPR News is supported by our members. Gifts from individuals are the driving force behind everything here. Become a member by making a gift of any amount today!
Clark’s presence filled the University of Minnesota’s Williams Arena on Wednesday night when the Hawkeyes faced the Gophers.
Observers see the bar’s launch as a natural response to the growing economic power of women’s sports. The bar’s owner, who has been walking around Twin Cities bars for years begging bartenders to change the TVs to women’s sports, hopes that momentum will help him keep his bar open.
“I say this jokingly, but the sports bar you go into in the Twin Cities area is probably a men’s sports bar. We don’t call it that,” owner Jillian Hickok told MPR News.
Kate Voss and Abby Molzahn kiss at a pre-opening party for A Bar of Their Own donors and friends of the bar.
Nicole Neri of MPR News
Photos of local and national athletes line the walls of the bar, along with 12 televisions. There’s also an autographed poster of the Rockford Peaches, the Illinois women’s baseball team that inspired the movie “A League of Their Own” along with the bar’s name, as well as autographed jerseys and an LGBTQ+ pride flag.
“When I was younger, I didn’t even know it was gone because I didn’t know what was available,” Hickok said of the lack of visibility in women’s sports. “We need to make it easier for kids, especially young women, to see themselves on TV.”
Starting a business is never easy, and there are plenty of sports in the Twin Cities, but Hickok believes there’s enough momentum in women’s sports right now to keep A Bar of Their Own afloat.
A bartender displays a rainbow order pen during a pre-opening party for donors and friends of the bar at A Bar of Their.
Nicole Neri of MPR News
“See you.” We recognize you.”
Cheryl Cookie, a sports sociologist and professor at Purdue University and co-author of two books on society and women’s sports, said women’s sports are at a turning point in a positive way.
“The change in the landscape of women’s sports in a very short period of time that we have witnessed is exponential,” she said. “There are more opportunities for people to demonstrate that they are fans and act on their interests in ways never before possible.”
She added that when women-centered spaces are created, they can challenge the way we think about gender in gaming and how women are viewed in society.
A Bar of Their Own’s regular business hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Nicole Neri of MPR News
That became clear in St. Paul in January. More than 13,000 people came to see it Minnesota’s new professional women’s hockey league team. This is the highest attendance record in women’s professional hockey history.
Last year, the Aurora, Minnesota soccer team quickly built a large fan base, drawing an average of 5,000 fans per game and breaking attendance records at the Vikings’ home base of TCO Stadium in Eagan.a A capacity crowd of approximately 6,500 fans attended the final. This success accelerated the team’s timetable for joining a professional league and finding investors.
The Minnesota Lynx have won multiple championships and maintain one of the strongest fan bases in the WNBA. The WNBA broke previous records in viewership, attendance and digital engagement last year.
All beers served at A Bar of Their Own are served by women-owned or led companies.
Nicole Neri of MPR News
However, unlike men’s sports, women’s sports still face persistent financial problems. Cookie said she often gets questions about the long-term financial health of women’s sports, but the funding is there and growing.
According to Deloitte Sports Business Group, women’s sports are projected to generate $1.28 billion in revenue in 2024, a 300% increase over the previous three years.
She’ll say there’s hope, but she doesn’t think A Bar of Their Own needs it. She is confident that they will succeed.
“As a woman, it’s very rare to be in a social setting and see yourself blatantly front and center in a way that isn’t misogynistic,” Cookie said. “That’s what this bar does. They say we met. We recognize you. We value you and this will be a safe place.” Masu.”
Patrons pose for pictures with Jillian Hickok during a pre-opening party for A Bar of Their donors and friends of the bar.
Nicole Neri of MPR News
“If you’ll put us on TV, we’ll definitely be there.”
Hiscock’s friends say if anyone can build a successful women’s sports bar in the Twin Cities, it’s her. She announced her plans on social media on September 15th before finally opening her doors.
“When she said she was going to do this, my first reaction was, ‘Oh, she’s going to knock it out of the park.’ I never thought it would fall through. I knew I would figure it out,” Jade Denson said.
Friday’s opening will be carried out with the help of 30 staff members. Hiscock said he had the application up for about 36 hours, but had to close it because it had nearly 200 applications.
A Bar of Their Own is the fourth women-only sports bar in the country. Her other three are Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, Icarus in Salem, Oregon, and Rough and Tumble in Seattle.
Nicole Neri of MPR News
Kate Voss, a friend of Hiscock’s and a loyal Lynx fan, said, “If you would put us on TV, we would appear and consume.”
“There’s nothing about women who are determined to achieve something,” she added. “If you’re not investing in women, what are you doing? Turning the channel to women. We’ve dominated for years.”
Minnesota Aurora head coach and athletic director Nicole Lukic feels the same way. Over the past three years, she has learned how to maintain interest in women’s sports. And according to her, this is just the beginning.
“When I was an athlete, opportunities to play beyond college were limited,” Lukic said. “Seeing women on TV used to be very sparse, but it’s become incredibly prevalent. I think all women’s sports will continue to get even better.”
At A Bar of Their, sports memorabilia is displayed throughout the bar during a pre-opening party for donors and friends of the bar.
Nicole Neri of MPR News
