Geno Auriemma Critiques NCAA Tournament’s Super Regional Format

SPOKANE, Wash. — UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma is once again voicing his frustration regarding the NCAA Tournament’s super regional format ahead of the Sweet 16 matchup against No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday, March 29, 2025. Auriemma criticized the decision to reduce regional sites from four to two, arguing that the change diminished opportunities for fans to attend games in person.

“Whoever came up with this super regional stuff — and I know who they are — ruined the game. They did. They ruined the game,” Auriemma said during a press conference after the team’s 8 a.m. practice Friday. “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.”

The NCAA adopted the two-site regional concept in 2023 as a response to declining attendance. While crowd sizes have increased since, logistical challenges continue to frustrate teams and coaches. UConn, one of the tournament’s top contenders, had to accommodate a cramped schedule as they share practice space with four other teams in Spokane.

“In a normal world, run by normal people, there would only be four teams here,” Auriemma added. “Which means there would be no games today, the games would be tomorrow. Which means we wouldn’t have to get up at 6 a.m. to have an 8 o’clock practice here this morning for an hour.”

The early practice was required to allow for other teams to utilize the arena ahead of their games. Auriemma lamented the scheduling, saying, “Takes us longer to get through security than to actually be on the court.”

An additional concern for teams in the Spokane super regional is the travel they will face if they advance. The winning team will need to make a cross-country flight to Tampa, Florida, for the Final Four, adding logistical complications on top of the tight timeline. The women’s Final Four format was changed in 2017, moving from a Sunday-Tuesday schedule to Friday-Sunday, which Auriemma notes places teams in the women’s bracket at a disadvantage compared to their male counterparts.

The veteran coach remarked on this discrepancy, saying, “God bless whoever wins Monday night, okay, and they have 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.” Auriemma contrasted this with the men’s tournament, where the Elite Eight concludes on Sunday, allowing for a full week of preparation before the Final Four.

The super regional system is set to remain in place until at least 2028, with varied site locations planned for the future. Notably, the 2026 sites in California and Texas offer slightly better geographic convenience, but 2027’s and 2028’s sites revert to challenging travel conditions.

As UConn prepares to face Oklahoma, Auriemma is focused on the immediate task at hand but maintains that fundamental issues with the tournament structure still need addressing. “There’s a lot of issues that they need to fix,” he reiterated, emphasizing overall dissatisfaction with the current format.

“And again, we could get our ass beat tomorrow, and that won’t change my feelings,” Auriemma said, demonstrating his commitment to advocating for system improvements despite the challenges ahead.