Geno Auriemma’s UConn Huskies are in pursuit of yet another NCAA Women’s Tournament championship, but the seasoned coach expressed sharp criticisms regarding the event on Friday. Currently, the No. 2 Huskies are competing in the Sweet 16, preparing to face No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday in Spokane, Washington. The victor moves on to the Elite Eight on Monday, followed by a cross-country flight to reach the Final Four in Tampa the following Friday, presenting a challenging schedule for the teams emerging from the Spokane super regional.
Auriemma criticized the super regional format during his media session, stating, “God bless whoever wins Monday night, OK, and they’ve got to fly cross-country, which is all day Tuesday, then they have two days, Wednesday and Thursday, to play the biggest game of their life. The guys who don’t know s*** about s***, according to a lot of women’s basketball people, they finish Sunday, then they have Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and they play Saturday. But there’s a lot of people in the women’s basketball community that think they’re smarter than that.”
The NCAA introduced the super regional format in 2023 to generate more interest in the tournament, a decision made back in 2019, before the rise of stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers, who have significantly increased viewership and attendance in the women’s tournament. Auriemma remarked that this format disadvantages teams and complicates travel for fans, asserting, “Whoever came up with this Super Regional stuff … ruined the game. They did, they ruined the game. Half the country has no chance to get to a game in-person. But you’re making billions off of TV. Well, actually, you’re not — that would be the men’s tournament. So yeah, there’s a lot of issues that they need to fix. And again, we could get our a** beat tomorrow and that won’t change my feelings.”
“Whoever came up with this Super Regional stuff ruined the game. Half the country has no chance to get to a game in-person. But, you’re making billions off of TV. Well, actually, you’re not – that would be the mens tournament. There’s a lot of issues…”
– Geno Auriemma pic.twitter.com/jPErAFYBha
— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) March 28, 2025
While travel inequities existed with four regional sites, the introduction of two host sites may broaden this issue for more teams. The super regional structure for the women’s tournament is set until at least 2028, with next year’s sites determined as Sacramento and Fort Worth, Texas, while the Final Four will take place in Phoenix. Although this arrangement provides better travel options for competing teams, it poses additional challenges for fans from the Eastern U.S. trying to attend games.
