The NCAA has come under criticism after it was discovered that the three-point lines were different lengths from the hoop on the two sides of the court in Portland for the Elite Eight.
The news emerged as NC State and Texas prepared to meet for a place in the women’s NCAA Tournament Final Four. Both teams’ coaches were notified but agreed to play despite the discrepancy. Basketball fans on X soon called out the NCAA over the disruption.
The three-point lines are different on each side of the court in Portland for the Elite Eight. The NCAA measured pregame and confirmed one side is a different three-point length than the other. 🤦
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 31, 2024
NC State and Texas agreed to play through it. 🏀 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/UnBo13kBUi
It was unclear how the error came about. The NCAA said the court will be measured professionally on Monday to confirm the difference in distances. The measurement errors were also understood to have been in place during the previous round of the tournament in Portland.
“The NCAA was notified today that the three-point lines on the court at Moda Center in Portland are not the same distance,” the NCAA said in a statement on Sunday. “The two head coaches were made aware of the discrepancy and elected to play a complete game as is, rather than correcting the court and delaying the game. The court will be corrected before tomorrow’s game in Portland.”
UConn and USC are due to meet on Monday evening in Portland.
From last night's game in Portland: pic.twitter.com/mVruRZYOnL
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) March 31, 2024
The incident is an embarrassment for the NCAA during a time when millions of US sports fans are focusing on college basketball. It also comes as women’s college basketball is starting to rival the men’s game in popularity. The NCAA came under fire in 2021 after inequities between the men’s and women’s tournament went viral on social media. College sports’ governing body issued an apology after photos showed the difference between the weight rooms at the two tournaments.
