In four decades leading UConn, coach Geno Auriemma has never been afraid to speak his mind.
On Friday, Auriemma proved, even at the age of 71, that this essential part of his personality hasn't changed. The Huskies' coach lit into the NCAA for halving the number of NCAA women's tournament regional sites in 2023, spreading the women's tournament's four regionals between two sites.
"Whoever came up with this super regional stuff—and I know who they are—ruined the game," Auriemma proclaimed Friday from Spokane, Wash, via Alexa Philippou of ESPN. The Pacific Northwestern city and Birmingham, Ala., are scheduled to host this year's Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.
No. 2 UConn will play No. 3 Oklahoma in the Sweet 16 Saturday afternoon, seeking its 29th Elite Eight trip.
"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," Auriemma said. "There's a lot of issues that they need to fix. And again, we could get our ass beat tomorrow and that won't change my feelings."
The women's tournament has used a four-site system in the past but scrapped it in 2023. As of now, the two-site system is expected to remain in place until at least 2028.
"In a normal world, run by normal people, there would only be four teams here," Auriemma said.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as UConn's Geno Auriemma Harshly Criticizes One Element of NCAA Women's Tournament.
