FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MARCH 26: Head coach Geno Auriemma of the UConn Huskies watches action during a practice session ahead of the NCAA Women's Sweet Sixteen at Dickies Arena on March 26, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – MARCH 26: Head coach Geno Auriemma of the UConn Huskies watches action during a practice session ahead of the NCAA Women’s Sweet Sixteen at Dickies Arena on March 26, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

FORT WORTH, Texas — Maybe this time the NCAA will finally hear out its most successful and longest-tenured head coach.

UConn women’s basketball Hall of Fame head coach Geno Auriemma opened his pre-Elite Eight press conference Saturday morning in Fort Worth by airing out his continued frustrations around the NCAA Tourament’s two-site regional format for women’s basketball. Instead of the traditional four-site regional like the NCAA uses for the men’s basketball tournament, the women’s tournament hosts its Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds at two regional sites — a change that started 2023 and is scheduled to continue until at least 2031.

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“I just don’t understand some of the decisions that are made about our game when we’re trying to grow the … game,” said Auriemma.

Each two-site regional, this year Fort Worth and Sacramento, hosts eight teams, two corners of the bracket (Fort Worth Region 1 and Fort Worth Region 3). With so many team and media obligations to squeeze in within a five-day window on one site, schedules become tight and court access becomes limited. Ahead of the Sweet 16, each team only gets one hour of practice time on the game court — if they need, want more practice time they have to find an additional court, resources elsewhere. The rest of their time at the arena consists of press conferences and additional team and media responsibilities with the NCAA and TV networks.

The Huskies, the No. 1 seed in the Fort Worth 1 corner, practiced Wednesday at Texas Wesleyan’s campus, which is about a 15-minute-drive East of Dickies Arena, the home of the regional. They practiced for an hour on the Dickies Arena court on Thursday in between media press conferences and obligations. On Friday, before their 4 p.m. local time Sweet 16 game, they were forced to return to Dickies Arena at 6 a.m. for a 30-minute shootaround window on the game floor.

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With Fort Worth Region 3 teams conducting their pre-Sweet 16 media and practices that same morning at the arena (Louisville, the No. 3 seed in Fort Worth 3 held its pre-Sweet 16 press conference at 7:30 a.m. on Friday), the Huskies had to return to Texas Wesleyan’s campus to conduct a longer, more productive pre-game shootaround and game prep.

UConn’s Sweet 16 victory over UNC ended around 6 p.m. on Friday. The team had to report back to Dickies Arena at 9 a.m. on Saturday for pre-Elite Eight media, however; because of the other Fort Worth 3 teams’ Sweet 16 games taking up the court Saturday afternoon, the Huskies were scheduled to practice on the Dickies Arena court at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Their Elite Eight game with Notre Dame is scheduled for noon local time on Sunday.

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“Does anybody who makes these decisions ever ask the coaches and the players, ‘Hey, does this work? Do you guys do this during the regular season? Is this normal?'”, said Auriemma.

On Saturday morning, Auriemma opened his remarks by comparing the teams who played Sweet 16 games on Friday and how the tight schedule affected their performance on the floor.

“I’m going read you some numbers, OK? Write them down: 4-for-20, 4-for-22, 1-for-17, 5-for-18, 4-for-16, 7-for-26. That’s the 3-point shooting yesterday across the country. How many arenas are we going to sell out with that bull—-?” he said. “Now, maybe it was just a bad day shooting by everybody. These are all teams that average probably 30, over 30 (3-pointers) for the season.”

Auriemma said Friday and Saturday that the shooting percentages in the tournament are affected by new rims and basketballs used for the games in March.

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“Got people dribbling the ball off their feet,” he said Saturday. “You got people missing layups all over the place. You bounce the ball, and it goes up to the ceiling. There’s just no concept of how basketball is played.

“Not that I have any of the answers. Believe me, I just have questions.”

Last year, when the Huskies played their regional games in Spokane, Washington, Auriemma also complained about the regional format as it was the third-straight season the NCAA had sent his Huskies to a West Coast region. He said as much as the regional format puts constraints on team’s game preparations, it also alienates fans, who don’t live near either of the two regionals, from attending games.

“Total attendance yesterday at both places (Fort Worth and Sacramento), 18,000,” said Auriemma. “If we have four regions and you got a minimum 5,000 people — I mean, I went to West Chester University, it’s a great university, I think that comes out to 20,000. So, what are we doing here?”

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Sites for the next two NCAA Tournament’s regionals are Philadelphia and Las Vegas in 2027 and Portland, Ore. and Washington, D.C. in 2028. The NCAA has yet to announce regional sites for the 2029, 2030 and 2031 tournaments. Auriemma said he wishes the NCAA did a better job of taking into account coaches input when making decision about the biggest event in the sport.

“I think a lot of times decisions are made; fine, prove that it’s a legit reason why. Give yourself an out if it doesn’t work,” said Aureimma. “The NCAA sends representatives to schools, to our school every year, at the end of the tournament (and asks) What would you change? What do you think works? What do you think doesn’t work?

“That’s been going on for about eight or nine years, and nothing changes. It’s always the same thing. So, I think there’s a frustration.”

Last year, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey and Texas’ Vic Shaffer also complained about the format not allowing for proper game prep due to the tight schedules. Auriemma said Saturday he knows other coaches are also just as frustrated this year.

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“Hopefully I’m speaking for the other coaches,” he said. “Some coaches might think I’m full of it. And this is not about UConn. I hope everybody understands that. This is not about us, because you know, we’ve managed to go to the Final Four and win national championships no matter where they’re played, when they’re played, what time they’re played, whatever.

“I think there is a level of frustration right now among the coaches that’s higher than any time I’ve ever seen it.”