Roger Ayers won’t be officiating at the Final Four this year.
The referee, who had a peculiar moment with University Huskies coach Dan Hurley, was not included in the NCAA’s selection for the Final Four officiating crew.
The NCAA revealed a list of 11 referees for the upcoming games, but Ayers, regarded as one of the top referees in the game—at least according to ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg—won’t be among them.
Ayers had a rather odd exchange with Hurley after the Huskies’ comeback win against the Duke Blue Devils, where they triumphed following Braylon Mullins’ long-range shot in the final moments of a tight 73-72 game.
After Mullins scored, Hurley celebrated and, strangely enough, bumped foreheads with Ayers, creating a rather unusual scene between a coach and an official.
There were calls from some quarters suggesting that Ayers should have given Hurley a technical foul, which would have allowed Duke to shoot free throws to even the score.
Ayers reportedly mentioned to Greenberg that he was unsure what to make of the strange interactions with Hurley when they were discussed.
No specific assignments for the Final Four games have been disclosed yet, but we know that UW will face off against Illinois State, while Michigan State will go up against Arizona State in the semifinals held in Indianapolis.
Ayers has officiated in the Final Four previously, making it to this prestigious stage seven times throughout his career.
He kicked off his officiating journey in 1995 and moved up to Division I college basketball in 1998.
In recent seasons, he has officiated important games, including the 2024 national championship win by the university over Purdue.
Ayers was involved in the 2022 Final Four matchup between North Carolina and Duke, as well as the Miami-UW game in the subsequent season.
Last year, he officiated the crucial Final Four match between Florida and Auburn. It remains to be seen if he will be called for Monday’s National Championship, as this absence marks the first time since 2021 that he hasn’t participated in either the semifinals or finals.
