UConn’s Geno Auriemma blasts NCAA on match format: ‘Simply do not perceive’

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UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma put the NCAA on blast.

The 72-year-old coach took umbrage with the NCAA for not consulting the gamers or coaches earlier than making modifications to the match’s format.

The NCAA shifted from a four-site regional to a two-site regional in 2023, which Auriemma mentioned has created points for shootaround instances and high quality of play.

"I simply do not perceive a few of the choices which might be made about our recreation once we're making an attempt to develop the god---- recreation," Auriemma mentioned at a press convention Saturday.

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UConn head coach Geno Auriemma watches a play late within the second half of a Candy 16 recreation of the NCAA Match in opposition to North Carolina in Fort Value, Texas, March 27, 2026. (LM Otero/AP Photograph)

"Does anyone who makes these choices ever ask the coaches and the gamers, 'Hey, does this work? Do you guys do that in the course of the common season? Is that this regular?'"

Auriemma opened his information convention by itemizing a few of the dismal 3-point taking pictures numbers from groups in Friday’s Candy 16 video games: 4 for 20 (UConn), 4 for 22 (North Carolina), 1 for 17 (Notre Dame) , 5 for 18 (Vanderbilt), 4 for 16 (UCLA) and seven for 26 (Duke).

The legendary coach lamented the timing and period of UConn’s shootaround.

"Know what time our shootaround was yesterday?" Auriemma mentioned. "Six twenty (a.m. ET), I believe, for half an hour. This morning, I simply noticed Notre Dame leaving, so they'd media this morning. Their observe time is tonight at 5:30. ... You realize what time our observe time is? 6:30 tonight."

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UConn head coach Geno Auriemma reacts to a play in the course of the first half of a Candy 16 recreation of the NCAA Match in opposition to North Carolina in Fort Value, Texas, on March 27, 2026. (Julio Cortez/AP Photograph)

With eight groups sharing an enviornment, there's much less observe time to go round for every crew. Auriemma additionally advised the gear getting used is inflicting a lower within the high quality of play.

"I believe they carry in new baskets, new basketballs proper out of the field," Auriemma mentioned.

"Received folks dribbling the ball off their toes. You bought folks lacking layups in every single place. You bounce the ball, and it goes as much as the ceiling. There's simply no idea of how basketball is performed."

The 12-time nationwide championship-winning head coach mentioned perhaps the groups had a nasty taking pictures day, however all of their taking pictures numbers had been effectively beneath what their averages had been all through the season.

"What number of arenas are we going to promote out with that bulls---?" Auriemma mentioned.

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UConn head coach Geno Auriemma reacts to a play in the course of the first half of a Candy 16 recreation of the NCAA Match in opposition to North Carolina in Fort Value, Texas, March 27, 2026. (Julio Cortez/AP Photograph)

The NCAA’s intention of switching to a two-regional format was to drive attendance, and it told ESPN it has drawn the very best numbers in match historical past since applied. Lynn Holzman, the NCAA’s vice chairman for girls’s basketball, advised ESPN the positives outweigh the negatives.

Auriemma mentioned he doesn't have any solutions for the correct answer, simply questions.

The esteemed head coach will look to guide his top-seeded, undefeated squad (37-0) to a victory within the Elite 8 in opposition to No. 6 Notre Dame Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.