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Data from the University of Nebraska show that despite the growing popularity of women's athletics, most sports wagering is still done on men's games.

Tipoffs for both the men's and women's National Collegiate Athletic Association Final Four are this weekend, an event that's expected to bring in wagers in excess of $3.3 billion, according to the American Gaming Association.

But despite the popularity of women's sports, bettors still aren't wagering on female events nearly as much as they are on men's.

Brian Petrotta, an assistant sports media and communication professor for the University of Nebraska, authored the research. He said the trend is surprising, given the surging popularity of women's sports.

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"Particularly in the 2024 season, when the women's tournament outdrew the men's tournament in the Final Four in terms of viewership numbers," said Petrotta. "That had never happened before."

That increased viewership was largely due to the star power of then University of Iowa star Caitlin Clark, who has gone on to shine in the Women's National Basketball Association. But despite her draw, gambling on women's sports still remained below what was wagered on men's.

Petrotta said that, historically, men have wagered on sports and women have not done so in large numbers.

While they are changing, Petrotta noted that betting has mirrored traditional viewing and betting habits that have developed over many years, and reflects the fact that historically, there have been fewer broadcasted hours of women's sports on TV.

But he also said that women's professional sports tend to be more up front about taking on social issues, which could make people less comfortable betting on women's sports.

"Social issues are almost a part of the brand of being women's sports fans," said Petrotta, "and there's something to be said for betting, gambling, whatever you want to call it, is not particularly beneficial on a social level, so..."

Tipoff for the men's Final Four is this Saturday in Indianapolis. Tipoff for the women's Final Four is on Friday in Phoenix.