Like UConn coach Geno Auriemma, LSU coach Kim Mulkey isn’t a fan of the two-host regional format of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
On Saturday, Mulkey said “we sold our soul too early” in choosing to play the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight at two regional sites instead of four. This year, the host cities are Spokane, Washington, and Birmingham, Alabama.
“This game has gotten better,” Mulkey said. “And man, if you still had four regionals, can you imagine the attendance? I know our fan base. They can’t afford to come to Spokane. But they could if it was a little bit closer.”
On Friday, Auriemma said the two-host format “ruined the game,” in part because the logistical challenges of assigning eight teams to one regional site led to scheduling issues. The Huskies, Auriemma said, had to wake up at 6 a.m. for a one-hour practice on Friday, then rise at 5 a.m. Saturday for a half-hour shootaround at 7:30 a.m. — seven hours before their Sweet 16 game vs. No. 3 seed Oklahoma tips off in Spokane Arena.
I wish our fans were here,” Mulkey said. “I know those of us who came from far have great fan bases, and I agree with Geno on everything he said about these super regionals only being in two places.”
The NCAA is scheduled to play the women’s tournament at two regional sites until 2028. Next year, the host cities are Fort Worth, Texas, and Sacramento, California. In 2027, the second-weekend teams will travel to Philadelphia and Las Vegas, and in 2028, the bracket will dovetail to Portland, Oregon, and Washington, D.C.
The men’s tournament has four regional sites. This tournament, those host cities are San Francisco, Atlanta, Indianapolis and Newark, New Jersey.
“We need to fix this,” Mulkey said. “We don’t have to wait until the contract’s up. Let the people keep their super regionals. Just go add two now. I’ve never ever been one to believe that you can’t work things out if it’s better for the game.”
