The NCAA made a significant change during the Chattanooga-N.C. State game on Saturday, replacing one of the officials at halftime due to a background conflict. Tommi Paris was removed from the NCAA Tournament first-round game and replaced by Angelica Suffren, who had officiated the first contest at the site.
According to the NCAA, the decision to switch officials was made after it was discovered that Umpire 2 Tommi Paris had a background conflict that would have prevented her from working the assigned game if known beforehand. It was revealed that Paris had a master's degree from Chattanooga, a fact that should have been disclosed to avoid potential conflicts.
