The Metro: Why one sports fan is opening a bar dedicated to women’s sports
Alissa Graff quickly discovered it was a battle to get women’s sports playing at bars, so she’s opening her own joint called Bar IX to celebrate women athletes and give fans a space to root for their favorite teams.
Bar IX members gather for a WNBA expansion event in July of 2025
Alissa Graff found out, despite the growing interest in women’s leagues, she would still need to fight for screen time if she wanted to watch women’s sports at her local bar. So, over the last year or so, Graf and others have taken things into their own hands—organizing watch party for women’s hockey, basketball and more.
Now she hopes to open her own sports bar called Bar IX. It’s a nod to the landmark Title IX amendment that, among many things, expanded women’s access in education and sports.
Alissa Graff joined the program to talk about starting Bar IX and this moment in women’s sports.
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