Geno Auriemma Makes Blunt 6-Word Demand of NCAA Before UConn Final Four Game

UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma is not happy about this decision from the NCAA.
Apr 3, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma during press conference at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Apr 3, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma during press conference at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

UConn Huskies legendary head coach Geno Auriemma made waves on March 28 when he called the NCAA out for his team's strenuous travel schedule during the NCAA Tournament, where they had to take two cross-country plane flights in a week.

"Whoever came up with this Super Regional stuff — and I know who they are— 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 you need to fix," Auriemma said.

This sentiment from the highly respected Auriemma has prompted a lot of discussion within the sports world. And it turns out that Auriemma wasn't done voicing his opinion, as he doubled down on his NCAA criticism when speaking with the media ahead of UConn's Final Four game against UCLA.

“We need to change the schedule,” Auriemma said, per the March Madness YouTube account. “We have to finish way earlier than we finish now so that we don’t come here Tuesday night, 3,000 miles, and then practice Wednesday and Thursday, and then play the biggest game of the year on Friday night at 9:30. And we were the last team to play on Monday."

He later added, “We need to change the schedule so that we have more time, and maybe we need to finish on a different weekend than the men finish. Maybe we need to finish a week earlier. We do it for the conference tournaments, right?”

“I also think sometimes we are afraid to look at what they do that enhances their tournament, and whether or not that fits with what we want to do, and not be married to tradition,” Auriemma also said at one point.

Auriemma saying "We need to change the schedule" two different times conveys just how strongly he feels about this subject.

Hopefully, his team's travel woes don't affect how they perform against UCLA on Friday.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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