Tampa, Florida – The grievances were hard to overlook. From Birmingham, Alabama to Spokane, Washington last weekend, notable women’s college basketball coaches were voicing their concerns regarding the NCAA’s new dual-region format.
To initially voice his strong disapproval of the format – where eight teams compete in a total of six games over four days in a single venue – UConn Coach Geno Auriemma, a 71-year-old Hall of Famer with an 11-year national championship pedigree. Auriemma’s objections center on practice schedules and court availability for shootarounds, asserting that it negatively impacts players’ rest and recuperation.
“In a typical scenario managed by ordinary individuals, there are only four teams present,” Auriemma remarked last Sunday. “This eliminates the need to practice at 8am, meaning you aren’t required to wake up at 5am and have a shootaround at 7:30am.”
He continued: “The individuals who lack understanding — as many in women’s basketball suggest — wrap up on Sunday and continue playing Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. However, many within the women’s basketball circle believe otherwise. Yet you’re generating billions from television revenue.”
LSU’s Kim Mulkey and Vic Schafer were also among those coaches expressing discontent with the format.
However, these coaches and fans of the sport shouldn’t expect a swift end to the dual-region model. NCAA president Charlie Baker seems to support this format and indicated that adjusting it soon would be challenging.
“It’ll be quite difficult to modify everything without first examining the situation,” Baker told reporters on Friday.
After the 2022 tournament, the NCAA changed the tournament’s second weekend structure to include two regional sites, previously taking place in Greensboro, North Carolina, Bridgeport, Connecticut, Wichita, Kansas, and Spokane, Washington. With the exception of Bridgeport (held close to No. 2 Seed UConn), that year’s regional finals welcomed over 7,800 attendees.
For 2023, the NCAA shifted to two locales, Greenville, South Carolina and Seattle, Washington. The regional final matchup of LSU versus Miami in Greenville attracted 7,988 spectators, while two additional regional finals exceeded 11,000 attendees. The previous year’s regional final in Albany, New York drew more than 13,000 fans. This year’s regional finals in Birmingham and Spokane averaged 10,716 fans across four games.
“The primary motivation for the Women’s Basketball Committee to move to two sites was to boost attendance, enhance the experience for players, and promote fan turnout,” Baker noted. “They successfully accomplished both goals. Attendance has significantly increased in recent years, and players truly enjoy the energetic atmosphere.”
Presently, the dual-region format is confirmed until 2028, with venues already allocated. The 2026 region will take place in Fort Worth, Texas and Sacramento, California, followed by Philadelphia and Las Vegas in 2027, and Washington, DC and Portland, Oregon in 2028.
“Many coaches appreciate the double-regional style,” Baker stated. “Inquire about it with Dawn Staley. See her perspective.”
Baker’s assertion holds true. The Gamecocks coach expressed concerns regarding practice and shootaround opportunities but, like Baker, seems to view the dual-region format positively for the sport’s fans.
“I lack adequate shootaround timings. Nevertheless, I genuinely appreciate the two-region concept. I enjoy having the other seven teams advancing to the Elite 8 and then to the final four all in one venue,” Staley explained. “This approach will attract more female basketball fans to a single location, ensuring increased attendance.”
In reality, women’s NCAA tournament ratings have reached unprecedented heights. Following the record-breaking viewer numbers for the Iowa vs. LSU Elite Eight matchup and the Iowa vs. South Carolina national championship duel from last season, audience engagement has continued to thrive. WNBA.
This year’s Elite Eight recorded the second highest viewership on record, with four games averaging 2.9 million viewers, a 34% increase compared to the 2023 tournament. The LSU vs. UCLA game peaked at 4.4 million viewers, a positive indicator for the women’s basketball tournament that is securing financial gains for the first time this year.
Concerning recent attendance and viewership trends, LSU’s Kim Mulkey cautioned that the NCAA might be rushing its decisions on the dual-region system, suggesting that the traditional four-site layout could also be successful.
“We were adjusting too hastily. The game has improved. And with four regions, consider our fan base. They can’t afford to travel to Spokane. “We need to address this. There’s no need to wait for the contract to expire. Let’s keep fans engaged regionally. If the game is stronger, I believed solutions could be found.”
Baker mentioned that the Women’s Basketball Committee discusses the local format “quite frequently” and that the subject will be revisited when the committee convenes post-final four.
“If they feel there’s a means to replicate the same fan and student-athlete experience, I’m sure I’ll take that into account,” Baker remarked.
Texas coach Vic Schafer, who recently became the fifth coach in the sport’s history to reach the Final Four with two distinct programs, has been raising concerns about the format since its inception.
“It seems there should be better organization and planning for the individuals involved. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality. Just inform the players,” Schafer pointed out. “But (Auriemma and Mulkey) are correct. You’re asking the players to wake up at 7am for a brief shootaround at a crucial time of the year. There are eight teams participating, and challenges exist.”
