referee assignments ncaa football

• Behind the Football Stripes
• Football Zebras

Welcome Guest. Please Login or Register .

• Officiating Corner

NCAA/College

• Special Guest Series
• High School
• Other sports
• Website & Message Board Questions, Comments, and Announcements
• Create Thread
• « Prev
• Next »

Board Information & Statistics

Cookie banner

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy . Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use , which became effective December 20, 2019.

By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.

Follow Corn Nation online:

• Follow Corn Nation on Twitter
• Follow Corn Nation on Facebook

Site search

• Husker Football 2022
• Husker Volleyball
• 2022-23 Men’s Hoops
• Husker Women’s Basketball
• Husker Wrestling
• Nebraska Football Recruiting
• 2022 Baseball
• Full Archive
• Community Guidelines
• Corn Nation Rules Refresher
• Navigation Tips
• The Corn Nation Store!
• County Countdown 2018
• Beverages in Nebraska
• Odds & Fantasy

Filed under:

• Nebraska Husker Football

Understanding College Football Officiating - The Crew And Their Keys

Would it help you as a fan to understand what the officiating crew is doing?

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Twitter
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: Understanding College Football Officiating - The Crew And Their Keys

This is the second part of a three-part series on officiating. This part will deal with the officiating crew and their keys - or what their responsibilities are on each play. The first part dealt with what it takes to become a FCS-level official . The third part will deal with post-snap responsibilities, and the fourth will deal with how calls are made.

There are seven members of the officiating crew in the NFL and college football (although some smaller colleges will use only six, without the back judge). Below are the definitions of each crew member, along with their pre-snap keys. This should be considered light reading, still laying the ground work for the complexity that's yet to come.

Referee or Head Referee

The referee or head referee positions himself in the offensive backfield before the snap. He's the guy with the white cap, and he is the head of the officiating crew. If there are any disputes, he's the guy who makes the final decision. The referee is responsible for counting the offense while in the huddle and then after they break huddle to make sure there are 11 guys on the field. He watches the quarterback, and makes sure that any motion is legal.

The umpire stands on the defensive side of the ball near the linebackers. He's most likely to be run over by players. The umpire counts offensive players in the same way as the referee, and both must confirm the count is legal before the play. The umpire watches the interior linemen (center and guards, and assists with tackles) to make sure there is no illegal movement and makes sure the snap is legal. He makes sure the defense doesn't use any words or signals to disrupt the offense. He must be aware of which players are ineligible receivers, and must be aware of the position of the ball relative to the field so that the ball can be returned to the previous spot if necessary.

Head Linesman And Line Judge

The head linesman is on the sideline opposite the press box, where the chain crew (the sticks) are located. The line judge is opposite the head linesman. Both are responsible for determining if the formation is legal. This used to involve determining how many players are on the line of scrimmage, but due to rule changes they simply count how many players are in the backfield. If there are four or less, it's an illegal formation. Both watch for encroachment by the defense, and false starts by offensive linemen, particularly the tackles. They also watch any players in motion to determine that it's legal.

Field Judge

The field judge is located behind the defensive secondary on the same side as the line judge. He counts the defensive players, determines which receivers are eligible and monitors defensive substitutions.

The side judge is located behind the defensive secondary on the side of the head linesman. He counts the defensive players, He has the same responsibilities as the field judge, but on his side of the field. Along with those, he monitors the game clock and calls time out if there is a problem, notifying the referee.

The back judge is behind the defensive secondary, favoring the strong side of the field (determined by the number of eligible receivers). He also counts the defensive players, and is responsible for the 25/40-second play clock.

At this point, the teams are lined up, and the ball has not yet been snapped. Things for the officiating crew don't appear to be too complicated, but what you don't realize is that the crew is determining their keys - the players to watch. That's next.

More From Corn Nation

• Monday Night Therapy: March Madness Fun! Nebraska Spring Football!
• Omar Brown NFL Draft Scouting Report
• Nebraska Football 2024 Spring Preview: Offensive Line - The Upward Trend
• Corn Flakes: Baseball and Softball Sweep Their Opening Conference Series
• Cornhuskers Pull Out Victory on a Wacky Day at Northwestern
• HUSKERS SOFTBALL Recap: NEBRASKA 5 Wisconsin 4 (9 Inn)

EAIFO - Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Football Officials

A leader and innovator in college football officiating since 1945, 2022 ncaa championships, 2022 ncaa division iii championship  – 93.

2022 NCAA D3 1st Round – Suny Cortland (28) at Randolph-Macon (35) – Tom Work, Tom Reaves, Mark McCarter, Stuart Hindman, Clement Vacelot, Steve Borchard, Tom Jackson

2022 NCAA D3 1st Round – UMASS Dartmouth (20) at Ithaca (63) – Ed Dubish, Jim Silva, Russell Gordon, Jay Johnson, Ray Petit, Derek Scacchi, Richard Martinez

2022 NCAA D3 Semifinal – Wartburg (31) at Mount Union (34) – Tom Work, Stephen Borchard, Thomas Reaves, Stuart Hindman, Mark McCarter, Thomas Jackson, Clement Vacelet

2022 NCAA D3 Finals – Mount Union (21) Vs North Central, ILL (28) – Dylan Hill, Nick Tomidy, Mike Grigas, Dave Hergert, Paul Knapp, Rob Guyton, Tim Britton, Dave Fox

2022 NCAA Division II Championship  – 94

2022 NCAA D2 2nd Round – Slippery Rock (27) at Shepherd (37) – Matthew Maille, Matt Williams, Adam Scott, Josh Tobon, Steve Cadorette, Craig Carew, R. Kyle Snow, Scott Banks

2022 NCAA Division I (FCS) Championship – 95 & 98

2022 NCAA FCS 2nd Round – Montana (26) at North Dakota St (49) – Matt Smyth, Chris Keel, Anthony Maynor, Matt Overton, Jonathan Kirk, Ron Roberts, Greg Mota, Lance Ulrich

2022 NCAA FCS 2nd Round – S.E. Louisiana (42) at Samford University (48) – Jim Downey, Jr., Bryant Ferguson, Ray Pittman, Chris Grogan, Jeremy DeAngulo, Peter News, William Moran, William McKeever

2022 NCAA FCS Semifinal – Montana St (18) at S Dakota St (39) – Mike Sechrist, Anthony Maynor, Matt Smyth, Lance Ulrich, Gregory Mota, Matt Overton, Ron Roberts, Jonathan Kirk, Chris Keel, Tim Schoen

2022 Conference Championships – 96.pages

2022 ncaa college football conference championships, 2022-23 ncaa college football bowl schedule, 2022-23 ncaa bowl officiating assignments, 2022-23 ncaa bowl officiating assignments.pages, 2021-22 ncaa bowl officiating assignments .pages, 2022 nfl wild card playoffs jan 14-16 2023.

College Football Playoff referees: Officiating crews for Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl

By cody williams | dec 31, 2022.

Looking at the College Football Playoff referees with the officiating crews for both the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl. 

Though many players would argue that any bowl game is important, there’s no denying that the stakes are just higher for the College Football Playoff. So for TCU vs. Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl and Ohio State vs. Georgia in the Peach Bowl as the semifinal matchups, all eyes were on those games.

Because of that, you’d expect that the College Football Playoff referees would be the best of the best that the officiating world had to offer. Of course, refs are always going to be insanely criticized, especially when they are on the biggest stage in the sport.

Having said that, the crews were meticulously selected for the CFP bowl games and here are the refs that were selected for each game.

Fiesta Bowl referees for TCU vs Michigan

It was an SEC officiating crew — one affiliated with neither team playing in the game — for the Fiesta Bowl. Here were the assignments set out for the referees in Arizona.

• Head Referee: Jason Autrey
• Umpire: Brent Sowell
• Head Lines: Nicholas Theriot
• Line Judge: Michael Taylor
• Field Judge: Daniel Gautreaux
• Side Judge: Sean Petty
• Back Judge: Martin Hankins
• Center Judge: Chris Garner
• Alternate: Scott Walker
• Replay Official: David Almand
• Communicator: Marc Gervais

Peach Bowl referees for Ohio State vs Georgia

For the Peach Bowl officiating crew, they once again went with a crew not affiliated with either team as it was a Pac-12 group, though fans from that conference will tell you that might not be a good thing. Here’s a look at the refs for the Ohio State vs. Georgia matchup.

• Head Referee: Chris Coyte
• Umpire: Greg Adams
• Head Lines: Darryl Johnson
• Line Judge: Dale Keller
• Field Judge: Steve Currie
• Side Judge: Jeff Dahle
• Back Judge: Joe Johnston
• Center Judge: John Love
• Alternate: Steve Strimling
• Replay Official: Jerry Meyerhoff
• Communicator: Terry Leyden

The hope for these crews, of course, is that they don’t become storylines for either College Football Playoff game.

dark. Next. 5 Alabama stars who won’t be back in 2023 and who will replace them

For more College Football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.

Officiating - Southeastern Conference

Officiating.

College Football News

2023-24 bowl games National Championship Game

2023-24 bowl games Sugar Bowl

2023-24 bowl games Rose Bowl

2023-24 bowl games Fiesta Bowl

2023-24 bowl games Orange Bowl

2023-24 bowl games Peach Bowl

2023-24 bowl games Cotton Bowl

College Football

Officiating crews for the 2022 college football conference championship games.

Officiating crews assigned by the college conferences for their championship games.

Football Zebras has obtained most of the crew assignments for the 2022 college football conference championships. Assignments are handled by each conference. Depending on the procedures for each conference, crews are may eligible for bowl games.

All times listed are Eastern. This post will be updated as we confirm the rest of the crews.

• ★ 2021-22 New Year’s Six or National Championship Game official
• ★ 2021-22 bowl game official (includes assignments to cancelled bowls)
• MDP Mackie Development Program official, the NFL’s development and training pipeline (active in last 3 years)
• PRO 2019 AAF, 2020 XFL, and/or 2021 USFL official

2022 Army-Navy Game liveblog

Alberto Riveron is the new ACC officiating boss

Ben Austro is the editor and founder of Football Zebras and the author of So You Think You Know Football?: The Armchair Ref's Guide to the Official Rules ( on sale now )

You may like

Football Zebras network

• ✨ Quirky Research
• Behind the Football Stripes forum
• So You Think You Know Football?
• ⚾ Close Call Sports

UFL Week 1 officiating assignments

United Football League has rules that depart from traditional football

Scorecard of the 2024 NFL owners meetings [live updates]

Competition Committee wants an XFL-style kickoff and to abolish the hip-drop tackle

New rules proposed by teams are direct from the recycle bin

Happy 95th birthday to the Dean of Referees Jim Tunney

Another busy offseason for NFL officiating

Competition Committee adds Sean McDermott and Sean McVay, leaving former players underrepresented

Super Bowl LVIII photo album

5 observations from Super Bowl LVIII

Super Bowl LVIII: 49ers vs. Chiefs

Let’s meet the Super Bowl LVIII crew in photos

Rules review video: Kick catch interference, invalid fair catch signal, and penalty enforcements

Jaire Alexander suspended one game by Packers for not knowing coin flip rules

Rules review video: Roughing the kicker, forced touching, and kick catch interference

Week 3 referee assignments

Week 7 referee assignments

Week 4 referee assignments

2023-24 bowl officiating assignments

Week 8 referee assignments

Week 17 referee assignments

Week 6 referee assignments

Week 12 referee assignments

Week 11 referee assignments

Rules review video: Touching the pylon, ball carrier down, and targeting with the lights out

Rules review video: Unconventional handoffs, unnecessary roughness, and roughing the passer

Rules review video: Scrimmage kick advancement, targeting, and blocking below the waist

Rules School: Officiating mechanics at the end of the half

Rules review video: Targeting, replay tools, and an experiment with the kickoff line

Rules review video: Illegal forward pass, illegal touching, and simulated kneeldowns

Rules review video: Defensive pass interference, coaches on the field, and defense re-establishing in bounds

Rules review video: Safeties, replay calling penalties, and kicks over the uprights

‘Exceptional situational awareness’ highlights the Call of the Week

Rules review video: Intentional grounding, targeting, and horse-collar tackles

• Wishlist (0)

• Digital Football
• Digital Baseball
• Digital Softball
• Digital Volleyball
• Digital Development
• Digital Basketball
• Digital Soccer
• Digital Wrestling

Football - Digital Versions

• Basketball - Digital Versions
• Baseball - Digital Versions
• Softball - Digital Versions
• Soccer - Digital Versions
• Volleyball - Digital Versions
• Wrestling - Digital Version
• Development - Digital Versions
• Low Priced Guides - Digital Versions
• Digital Video
• Retro Referee Magazine Covers
• Prep Series Annual Editions

Crew of 5 Keys Map

2023 New Rules Video Review: Video: Best Practices of High School Football

2023 NFHS High School Football Rules Simplified & Illustrated

NEW - 2023 Football Meeting In A Box

2023 NFHS High School Football Preseason Guide

Targeting Video + Book Package

2022-23 High School Football Mechanics Illustrated- 4 and 5 Person High School Crews

Ultimate Book: Pass Interference -5th Edition

NEW - 2023 CCA Crew of 7 & 8 College Football Officiating Manual

Ultimate Series Set - Books + Video - Save $34

Crew Package - SAVE $20

Ultimate Football Video Plays Vol. 1 - USB

The Ultimate Book on Blocking and Tackling

Ultimate Book: Special Teams

Ultimate Book: Holding

Position Power: Working the Referee Position

Position Power: Working the Umpire Position

Position Power: Working the Wings

Position Power: Working Deep

Specifically Speaking: Scripts for Every Football Situation

Football Game Changers: Plays You Gotta Get Right

Targeting & Other Personal Fouls

What Works: Insights from Football's Top Officials

Best Practices of High School Football: The Call on the Field Stands - USB Video

Best Practices of High School Football: The Grey Areas - USB Video

Targeting: See It. Call It. Video Guide - USB Video

Video Training Set

After Further Review by Mike Pereira

The Inner Game of Officiating

• Digital Products (168)
• Football - Digital Versions (43)
• Basketball (51)
• Baseball (45)
• Softball (45)
• Volleyball (18)
• Wrestling (14)
• Development (70)
• Low Priced Guides (60)
• Prep Series Annual Editions (2)
• 9 Rules You Thought You Knew (8)
• Gift Cards (3)
• 800-733-6100
• 262-632-5460
• [email protected]

Referee Training Center

The Referee Training Center is the world's largest library of officiating training materials and videos. Improve your individual skills or build your association's training program. If you have a question about a product or need help placing an order, email [email protected]  or call 800-733-6100.

Company Info

Customer services.

• Customer info
• New products
• Recently viewed products
• Compare products list

• CBSSports.com
• Fanatics Sportsbook
• CBS Sports Home
• NCAA Tournament
• W. Tournament
• Champions League
• Motor Sports
• High School
• Horse Racing 

Men's Brackets

Women's Brackets

Fantasy Baseball

Fantasy football, football pick'em, college pick'em, fantasy basketball, fantasy hockey, franchise games, 24/7 sports news network.

• CBS Sports Golazo Network
• March Madness Live
• PGA Tour on CBS
• UEFA Champions League
• UEFA Europa League
• Italian Serie A
• Watch CBS Sports Network
• TV Shows & Listings

The Early Edge

A Daily SportsLine Betting Podcast

With the First Pick

NFL Draft is coming up!

• Podcasts Home
• Eye On College Basketball
• The First Cut Golf
• NFL Pick Six
• Cover 3 College Football
• Fantasy Football Today
• Morning Kombat
• My Teams Organize / See All Teams Help Account Settings Log Out

NCAA Women's Tournament bracket 2024: Printable bracket, games, matchups for Elite Eight of March Madness

The tournament is winding down, but the action is heating up as we reach the elite eight.

And then there were eight. The 2024 NCAA Women's Tournament is near its conclusion with the Elite Eight now officially set for tip off. All four No. 1 seeds are still alive and vying to reach the Final Four. That includes top overall seed South Carolina, who maintains its undefeated record, looking to become the 10th team to complete an undefeated season as national champions. Plus, Iowa, Texas and USC are all still in the mix.

The other four teams are just as deserving to this point, but interestingly no No. 2 seeds made it to this point. In fact, each No. 1 seed will take on the No. 3 seed in their region. Oregon State, NC State, LSU and UConn all made it through their first three games to reach this point and have a chance to score the upset and make the Final Four.

Sunday will see two teams punch their ticket to the Final Four in Cleveland. Things get underway with South Carolina taking on Oregon State in Albany, New York. Then, attention turns out west with Texas battling NC State from Portland, Oregon. 

Below you will find a viewable/printable 2024 NCAA Women's Tournament bracket. Thanks for stopping by, but don't forget to continue to checking in throughout the next three weeks. CBS Sports will offer complete coverage of the events with the latest news, results and breakdowns of the biggest matchups.

March Madness® is better with friends, especially when you beat them!  Get your bracket pools ready now  and invite your friends, family and co-workers to play.

As usual, we'll have a variety of methods in which you can view the bracket on the device of your choice. And you absolutely want to make sure you join our Bracket Games where you can compete against the public or create a bracket group to battle your family, friends and/or co-workers.

Click here to enlarge and print the blank 2024 NCAA Women's Tournament bracket. 

Our Latest Women's College Basketball Stories

How Clark, Iowa used pace to their advantage

Erica ayala • 3 min read.

UConn women, men both reach Final Four for fifth time

Wajih albaroudi • 1 min read.

Travis Scott, more react to Clark's Elite Eight showing

South Carolina's Kamilla Cardoso declares for draft

Report: Va. Tech star Amoore enters transfer portal

Isabel gonzalez • 1 min read.

UConn vs. USC: How to watch, preview, key storyline

Isabel gonzalez • 2 min read, share video.

Printable 2024 NCAA Women's Tournament bracket

How Iowa, LSU have evolved since 2023

Clark, Reese detail their relationship

LSU's Reese undecided on 2024 WNBA Draft

Aziaha James oozing confidence amid tourney run

Former Pro Bowl CB Davis found dead in Florida at 35

Rangers' Josh Jung breaks wrist on HBP

🏀 Men's Tournament

🎟️ Final Four set

🗣️ Each team's Final Four path

🚂 Purdue's 44-year journey back to the Final Four

👀 See bracket

Check your bracket

Mike Lopresti | NCAA.com | April 2, 2024

• Never-before-seen college basketball fairytales set to converge at the Final Four

Somebody Up There likes college basketball. Has to. The basketball gods aren’t just smiling on the Final Fours this year — both genders — they are giving them big hugs and kisses on each cheek.

Let’s put the Final Fours next to one another to explain.

The men. Defending champion and rampaging Connecticut made it, with dazed tournament victims scattered behind in its wake.

The women. Unbeaten South Carolina made it. The Gamecocks will be there with its 36-0 record and its championship pedigree and a remade lineup that has flexed the same old muscle. All the starters are gone from 2023, but the more things changed, the more they stayed the same in Columbia.

The men. Zach Edey, everyone’s national player of the year and king of the paint will be there. He’s coming off a remarkable regional championship game of 40 points and 16 rebounds.

The women. Caitlin Clark, everyone’s national player of the year and queen of the 3-point arc, will be there. She just had an extraordinary regional championship game of 41 points and 12 assists. A few of the 3-pointers in Albany were taken from Utica.

TRACKING CAITLIN CLARK:  Follow the Iowa star's biggest games and highlights this season

The men. NC State will be bringing its underdog story, confounding logic, overturning the odds. A team that finished 10th in its conference.

The women. Here’s another compelling tale of shock and awe as an unexpected threat powered its way through the bracket. A team picked to finish eighth in its conference with not one player on the preseason all-league team. Wait a minute. That’s NC State, too.

The men. There’s a program in the Final Four for the first time. Welcome to the show, Alabama.

The women. There’s a program in the Final Four for the 23rd time. Welcome back from the dead, UConn and Geno Auriemma. Well, not so much from the dead, but at least from a 4-3 start. That got the Huskies ranked No. 17. Fine for most places, the lowest spot in 30 years for UConn.

Really, could it get any better?

Take Friday night at the women’s Final Four. Connecticut vs. Iowa. Paige Bueckers vs. Caitlin Clark. They met as freshmen in 2021 in the Sweet 16. Clark scored 21 and Bueckers scored 18, but it was the Huskies who rolled on 92-72. There was so, so, so much more to come. Know what Clark said that night? “The reason I came to Iowa is because I wanted to do something special.”

And then some.

Now they meet again. Clark has been on a rocket ride into the stratosphere in fame. Bueckers has had to fight her way back from knee injuries. Could it get any better?

Well, yes. The TV folks could hit a double-winning lottery ticket in the championship games. Imagine...

Sunday. South Carolina seeks to become the 10th unbeaten champion for the women, facing Iowa and Clark in her final college game. The Gamecocks are 78-1 in their past 79 contests, the lone loss to Iowa in last April’s Final Four. A defeat that coach Dawn Staley long brooded upon.

“Last year rocked me. It rocked me because we had a team full of players who did all the right things. All the right things. Gave us no issues for four years. . . If you could have been around that particular group of young ladies, you'd want them to win. We don't know why, and we often try to ask God why. Why? Today I stand here as our why. Doesn't make them feel any better about them not cementing their legacy even more, but I know they're happy and proud of this group and they're happy and proud of South Carolina, where they chose to come to school and create a legacy.”

There has been a strange dynamic at work around South Carolina. Between the constant uproar surrounding Clark and LSU’s ability to wander into some sort of turbulence, the Gamecocks have gone 36-0 almost quietly. Is that possible? “I don't know, but I like it. I really do,” Staley said. “Go ahead, take the spotlight, put it somewhere else. Let this team continue to thrive in the space that they're given. Hopefully at the end of the day, next week this time, I'm hoping that we give a lot of people a lot to talk about.”

So that could be Sunday. Monday could be the Connecticut men closing in on a repeat championship, after one of the most dominating NCAA tournaments ever witnessed, facing Edey in his last game. The Huskies are ranked No. 1. Edey and Purdue have faced 11 ranked opponents this season. They haven’t lost to any of them.

⛹️  2024 MARCH MADNESS:  Men's schedule, dates  |  Women's schedule, dates

Just imagine.

The men had already put all this possible intrigue in place over the weekend and now the women have come up with the perfect partner Final Four. All manners of fascinating things could happen in Cleveland.

Maybe it’ll be a coronation. The men haven’t had an unbeaten champion in 48 years. The women have had nine since the NCAA tournament began in 1982. The Gamecocks need only two more wins to join the club and make it an even 10 — this after losing every single starter from last season,

“Just proud because we beat the odds,” Staley said. “The odds said that we shouldn't make it back to the Final Four. Just proud of our team and for them believing in themselves. They created a certain level of chemistry and culture, and they stuck with it, and then they allowed us to coach them.”

Maybe there’ll be a mighty upset. Hard to decide what South Carolina number is scarier so far in the tournament. The Gamecocks have trailed a total of 61 seconds in four games, never by more than two points.  The Indiana game was a close call and seemed to suggest some vulnerability, but it is also a fact that South Carolina was never behind in that game. There’s also the 75-18 gap in second chance points so far in the tournament, the massive 145-14 domination in bench points, the 181-127 rebounding differential. And the four opponents have shot a combined 32.4 percent.

“Obviously, the best team in the country. But you're not playing a four-out-of-seven series. You're playing one game, okay?” NC State coach Wes Moore said. “So we've just got to find a way to win one game against them, and it's going to be a big challenge. 

“But, hey, right now, you know, you could tell me we're playing the Trail Blazers, and I'd feel okay. We're in the Final Four. Bring them on. Come on. Clyde Drexler. Bring him back. Bill Walton.”

The Final Four even hit it big in a highly quotable coach.

THE JOURNEY:  What defines UConn, Purdue, Alabama and NC State's path to the 2024 Men's Final Four

NC State is in the Final Four when it didn’t even start the season ranked in the top 25. The Wolfpack have busted through a wall of higher regarded opponents and . . . hold it. Are we talking about the NC State men or women? Either way. They’re taking magic carpets to different Final Four locations this weekend, each searching for happy endings 2,000 miles apart. On the women’s side, they summarily disposed of the No. 2 seed in Stanford and No. 1 seed in Texas — both by double digits — to make it through the regional.

“You know, people doubted us, and we didn't care what the media had to say,” said guard Aziaha James. “We didn't care what anybody had to say. We showed up on the court every time, and we proved who we were.” 

She certainly proved who she was. The junior who averaged four points a game as a freshman and just under seven as a sophomore just scored 27 against Texas two days after putting 29 on Stanford. “Just shows a lot about myself, just never giving up,” she said. “People didn't know my name my freshman year, but you know my name now, so you see how I've grown.”

Maybe it’ll be a return to power for Auriemma and UConn that few saw coming this season. He has won 11 national championships and now advanced to 23 Final Fours. The other seven men’s and women’s programs who’ll be playing this weekend have won nine titles combined, and gone to 26 Final Fours.

This trip may have been the hardest, since the adversity his team faced might have been the highest peak in all Connecticut. They lost five players to season-ending injuries and most nights Auriemma has had to make do with a six-player rotation. Bueckers has not rested one minute in the tournament's three games. 

When they started the season 4-3 — unheard of in Storrs — a genuine crisis seemed at hand. Auriemma had one thing to say then. “Our goal is to be a much better team in March than we are (now),” he said.

Now it’s April and they’re in the Final Four.

BRACKET CHALLENGE GAME:  Check your men's bracket here  |  Check your women's bracket here

Maybe it’ll be the perfect goodbye for the poster player — not to mention the cereal box player — of the game. What hasn’t Caitlin Clark done, from breaking every scoring record in sight to filling houses everywhere to driving up the stock of poster board companies from all the little girls who needed something for their  we love 22  signs? Well, win a national championship is something she hasn’t done. It’s last chance time.

“There’s still two more (games) there to get,” she said Monday. “That’s what makes the Final Four so fun. Anybody can take it. Anybody can win it.

“I think we have the power to do that.”

Count the coach she just beat in on that. After watching Clark run up her 41 points, Kim Mulkey tried to describe LSU’s defensive plans. “Well, there's not a lot of strategy. You've got to guard her. Nobody else seems to be able to guard her. We didn't even guard her last year when we beat them. She's just a generational player."

When it was over Monday night, they passed in the handshake line and Mulkey had a few words for Clark. She later recounted the conversation in two sentences.

“I’m sure glad you’re leaving.”

"Girl, you something else. Never seen anything like it.”

True enough. But then there are lots of things that might happen this weekend seldom or never seen before, in two Final Four cities far apart. College basketball is living a blessed April.

• NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee names game officials for 2024 men’s Final Four

• History-making storylines we could see at the 2024 Men’s Final Four

• What defines UConn, Purdue, Alabama and NC State's path to the 2024 Men's Final Four

March Madness

• 🗓️ 2024 March Madness schedule, dates
• 👀 Everything to know about March Madness
• ❓ How the field of 68 is picked
• 📓 College basketball dictionary: 51 terms defined

Greatest buzzer beaters in March Madness history

Relive Laettner's historic performance against Kentucky

The deepest game-winning buzzer beaters in March Madness history

College basketball's NET rankings, explained

What March Madness looked like the year you were born

Di men's basketball news.

• Purdue heads to the Final Four, starting a celebration 44 years in the making
• 2024 March Madness: Men's NCAA tournament schedule, dates
• Latest bracket, schedule and scores for 2024 NCAA men's tournament
• The lowest seeds to make the men's Final Four, Elite Eight and Sweet 16
• 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Final Four Tips Off Saturday, April 6, on TBS, TNT and truTV
• How many brackets correctly pick every Final Four team each year, since 2014

Follow NCAA March Madness