NCAA Report Finds 3-Point Line Was Nearly A Foot Off, Sparking Investigation Into Other Games

Through two weeks, the NCAA Women’s Tournament has supplied both fantastic basketball and plenty of drama.

But not all that drama is a good thing. Take, for instance, the NCAA discovering that the two 3-point lines on one of the courts in its Portland regional were not equidistant from their respective baskets.

How for off were the two lines? An inch? Maybe two?

Nope.

An NCAA report revealed Monday that one of the 3-point lines was NINE INCHES shorter than the other at the top of the key.

NCAA Finds Dramatic Difference In 3-Point Line Measurement On Tournament Court

“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,” the NCAA said in a statement. “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 found the innacurate 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.”

No biggie then. Just the average 9-inch difference. It’s not like shooting is wildly dependent on muscle memory and a make or miss could be determined by an inch here or there.

The stats show a stark difference as well.

During the five tournament games played in Portland on the court with the mismatched 3-point lines, teams shot 33.3% (29 for 87) from the side with the correct measurement and just 25.8% (23 for 89) on the incorrectly measured side of the court.

The court measurement disaster also prompted the NCAA to remeasure all other courts in the men’s and women’s tournaments. Thankfully, those came back normal.

None of the teams who played on the court have expressed any complaints or concerns. But it’s an absolutely massive screw-up and calls into question the legitimacy of the results from games played on the court.

The incorrect 3-point line has since been painted over, with a new line painted in its place ahead of Monday’s Elite 8 matchup between USC and UConn.