Texas coach Vic Schaefer echoes Kim Mulkey, Geno Auriemma on NCAA super regional format

USA Today

30-03-2025

Texas coach Vic Schaefer echoes Kim Mulkey, Geno Auriemma on NCAA super regional format
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and LSU's Kim Mulkey have been outspoken in their displeasure with the 'super regional' format of the women's NCAA Tournament. With just two regional sites, UConn and LSU had to travel across the country, to Spokane, Wash., for their Sweet 16 and Elite Eight matchups.
Texas head coach Vic Schaefer, whose No. 1 Longhorns are here at the Birmingham Regional, was in the same position last year. The Longhorns traveled to Portland, Oregon to take on Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 and NC State in the Elite Eight.
'I was the lone ranger,' Schaefer said. 'I experienced what they're complaining about now.'
For Auriemma, it's about the quick turnaround and lack of time to practice for the players.
For Mulkey, it's about the lack of ability to get fans to Spokane from Baton Rouge.
For Schaefer, it's about the early wakeups and set up of the media room.
At Legacy Arena, where the Birmingham Regional games are being held, the press conference room and media workroom are separated by a thin black curtain. When media members are interviewing coaches and players in the press conference, the workroom chatter can be heard.
'We're trying to have a press conference and it sounds like there's a dadgum party next door,' Schaefer said Sunday, ahead of his team's Elite Eight game against No. 2 TCU on Monday. 'Last year I had a press conference and they had some machine backing up with a (reverse alert) going.'
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With eight teams at one site, dividing up time for each one to have full practices can be tricky. Running hard in practice can be difficult too, Schaefer said, especially when players have to be up before the sunrise to get there.
'You gotta get them up at 7 in the morning for a 30-minute shootaround at the most important time of the year,' he said. 'There's eight teams here. It's problematic.'
While the regional sites for the next three NCAA Tournaments are already set, Schaefer, like Auriemma and Mulkey, hope that there are changes made.
'There seems to me that there can be better organization,' he said. 'This is not it.'
Abby Halpin is a student in the University of Georgia's Sports Media Certificate program.