March Madness is in full swing. As fans pack arenas to see their favorite teams play, some folks can’t help but notice that top seeds, who hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament at home, were seemingly benefitting from favorable officiating. It’s generating cries for women’s basketball to move to neutral sites.
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If you were watching West Virginia and Iowa’s matchup on Monday, you might have noticed that Iowa received a significant number of calls. The Hawkeyes attempted 30 free throws to the Mountaineers’ five during the game. That’s not a typo. Incredibly, Iowa drew six fouls within the final minute compared to one for West Virginia.
The disparity felt so alarming that it even caught the eyes of Damian Lillard. Moreover, it isn’t the first time during the tournament that fans (or coaches, for that matter) have noticed the benefits host teams are receiving. The cries for neutral sites are getting louder.
Here’s what fans are saying about what they’re seeing:
