How the NCAA says it fixed the women’s Portland court before UConn-USC Elite Eight game

The NCAA apologized for having unequal 3-point lines and said it was "human error".

The NCAA’s history of slights and mismanagement during the women’s basketball tournament unfortunately continued in 2024 — with more than one example — but as far as unequal 3-point lines go, it says it fixed the issue.

During the women’s NCAA tournament Elite Eight on Sunday, before NC State and Texas tipped off at the Moda Center in Portland, both teams and officials noticed that the 3-point arcs on opposite sides of the court were different distances. At that point, it was too late to change, and the game carried on with the Wolfpack advancing to the Final Four.

The court that five total women’s games were played on between the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight had one 3-point line that was nine inches shorter at the apex than the other side, the NCAA said in a statement released Monday. That this even happened is an embarrassing and careless oversight, and the NCAA apologized, blaming “human error” and acknowledging it “should have caught the error sooner.”

Full NCAA statement on what happened in Portland this week with the incorrect 3-point line. Will thread highlights below: pic.twitter.com/m5trsgzIVh

— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) April 1, 2024

Part of the NCAA’s statement read:

“The NCAA uses an official supplier, Connor Sports, to produce and install all men’s and women’s basketball predetermined site tournament courts.

For all NCAA courts, a small hole is punched in the floor at each end of the court that indicates ‘center-of-basket’ during the finishing process. A calibrated vinyl-tape device is then placed in the hole, which lays the 2-inch game line to be painted.

After the conclusion of the Elite 8 game and a subsequent team practice, the NCAA worked with a Connor Sports certified technician to inspect the court markings in Portland. Review of the Portland court found the center-hole was punched in the wrong position, which resulted in the incorrect arc measurement for the 3-point line. The center-hole was placed approximately 9 inches from the center of the basket, causing the arc of the 3-point line to be approximately 9 inches short at the apex of the arc. Connor Sports and the NCAA found the inaccurate line was the result of human error by the finisher contracted by Connor Sports. The review also found the sides of the 3-point line were accurately painted, as were all other court markings.”

So how was the court fixed? Per the NCAA’s statement:

“Overnight in Portland, the incorrect 3-point line was painted over with a color that matches as closely as possible with the wood grain of the floor, and the correct 3-point line was painted on in black. This change brings the court into full compliance with NCAA playing rules.”

The unequal 3-point distances was noticeable — and painfully obvious once you saw it — but the lines appear to be the same distance now. The court before Monday:

How are they just now figuring out the court has been jacked up in Portland? It was the same for every other game there too.

This was Baylor/USC last night. Can clearly tell it’s shorter distance on left. pic.twitter.com/baGkWLRIMk

— Chris Hassel (@Hassel_Chris) March 31, 2024

And the court after the adjustments:

The UConn Huskies play in the Elite Eight tonight pic.twitter.com/rUpkZRB4WR

— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) April 1, 2024

Closer look from UConn’s ADhttps://t.co/hngzVXFDwy

— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) April 1, 2024

The NCAA also determined that other measurements for the tournament were correct and described this as “an isolated incident.”