Werner, the world leader in ladders and manufacturer of climbing products and fall protection equipment, is honored to again be part of the incredible and emotional net cutting celebrations that happen each year in both the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Regional and National Championships. As part of the yearly celebration, Werner creates exclusive Podium Ladders to safely climb during the net-cutting ceremony. The Werner Ladders are designed uniquely for March Madness and have wider rungs, a larger platform and higher guardrails to specifically address this unique situation including weights, heights and shoe sizes of basketball players and coaches. To watch the talented athletes and coaches celebrate their hard-earned place in history provides great pride for Werner. 

“Every year we look forward to March and being a proud sponsor of the NCAA Basketball Championship Games,” said Stacy Gardella, Head of Global Marketing Technology & Operations at WernerCo. “Our work starts months before as we design the custom ladders right here in Itasca, Illinois. When the ladders leave our factory and March Madness begins, the energy and excitement heightens for our employees working on the factory lines to the front offices and everywhere in between,” continued Gardella. 

Uniquely Designed Podium Ladder for Championship Games

While many fans may picture just one ladder used at the Championship game, Werner creates a customized Podium Ladder for these winning moments. The ladder is specially designed based on the average shoe size, wingspan, weight and height of the college basketball players. Werner delivers 85 custom ladders to select conference championships along with the Division 1, Division II and Division III Men’s and Women’s Regional and National Championship Games. As winning teams climb these commemorative ladders with scissors in hand to cut parts of the net, the Werner brand is proud to be seen in broadcast, online and print media on a national scale.  These joyous occasions are celebrated by teams and fans every year, with the tradition dating back to the 1940s. 

Werner is amplifying media and fan access by coming directly to the championship host cities with an experiential ladder tour. Fans can see the custom Werner Ladders through in-person events as well as engage through social media. For opportunities to win memorabilia and post photos with the Werner ladder, fans can tag @wernerladderco or use the hashtag #OfficialLadderOf on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Following the ladder tour, the winning school will host the Werner Ladder on campus during the 2024-2025 school year. 

Going Further Always Involves Talented Coaches

Werner continues to sponsor the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and the Naismith Awards Men’s and Women’s College Coach of the Year awards. As the title sponsor of the Naismith Awards since 2017, Werner celebrates these coaches who are such an important part of each team, and each student-athlete’s development. For the 2024 season, there are now four finalists for each award, with ceremonies being held in Cleveland on April 3rd and Phoenix on April 7th.

The NCAA® Division I Women’s Championship will take place in Cleveland, Ohio on April 7th, while the NCAA® Division I Men’s Final Four and National championship game will take place in Phoenix, Arizona on April 8th.

For more information, visit www.wernerladder.com.