NCAA Extends Two-Site Super-Regional Women's Tournament, Keeps Fort Worth And Sacramento At Least Five Seasons

The NCAA confirmed the two-site regional format will continue for at least five more seasons.

“FORT WORTH, Texas -- UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma once again ripped the NCAA for its choices surrounding the women's basketball tournament, saying Saturday, "I just don't understand some of the decisions that are made about our game when we're trying to grow the goddamn game”

ESPN

Fort Worth and Sacramento will host the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, concentrating eight teams at each site and compressing practice and media windows around a single arena per site.

ESPN

Geno Auriemma and other coaches have criticized the arrangement as prioritizing attendance gains over player well-being, while the NCAA defends the plan as delivering higher attendance.

The NCAA’s plan anchors two regional sites (Fort Worth Regional 1 and Sacramento Regional 2) hosting eight teams per site, effectively concentrating the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight into two venues.

The NCAA has argued the move creates a better atmosphere and higher attendance, while critics note the system can yield limited practice time and complicated scheduling for players and coaches.

ESPN La Crosse 105.5

Media availability and on-court access are part of the friction, with coaches contending the format reduces prep time and can complicate preparation for the weekend’s games.

Auriemma described having to wake early and travel between sites with limited access to game courts, underscoring the mismatch between the schedule and players’ needs.

“This is not the first time UConn’s head coach Geno Auriemma has been outspoken about the NCAA’s recent restructuring of the Women’s March Madness tournament”

Forbes

Media availability and shootarounds are tightly choreographed, with UConn and Notre Dame each juggling morning and late-day slots, sometimes in different venues on the same day.

Coaches and players characterized these rhythms as not aligning with regular-season norms, raising concerns about fatigue and readiness for crucial games.

Auriemma and others pointed to new baskets and balls right out of the box as a contributing factor to poor shooting, arguing these elements disrupt muscle memory and shot rhythm.

Observers point to inflated balls and higher rims as factors that could exaggerate misses, complicating performance assessments in a tournament already criticized for low three-point shooting on a given day.

New Haven Register

The critique encompasses both men’s and women’s tournaments, with commentators asserting that such equipment changes should be tested and standardized to avoid unintended on-court effects.

Attendance figures were cited by NCAA officials as evidence the format works, with reports of the combined crowds at the Fort Worth and Sacramento venues approaching thousands and the system touted as the highest-attended in tournament history.

“Geno Auriemma led UConn women's basketball to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1989, eyeing a trip to the East regional finals at Bowling Green's 7,000-seat E”

New Haven Register

Auriemma and allied voices insist the gains in attendance do not compensate for the diminished preparation, travel strain, and reduced player input in how the tournament is run.

Sports Illustrated

Several outlets note that the move came after a broader push to protect fan access and monetize growth, even as critics warn of eroding the very conditions players say enable elite performance.