Fans think the NCAA tried to sabotage UConn by booking the team in a terrible Las Vegas hotel
From a college athlete’s perspective, one of the great parts of advancing in the NCAA tournament is having the chance to stay in increasingly nicer hotels. Each weekend — all the way to the Final Four — the accommodations get more and more luxurious.
That is unless you’re the UConn Huskies, apparently.
According to CTinsider.com, the Huskies had to switch hotels ahead of the Sweet 16 and (possibly) Elite Eight in Las Vegas due to poor conditions. The NCAA takes the lead on hotel assignments for the tournament, and it had UConn staying at the Luxor Hotel — an MGM property that opened 30 years ago and is notorious for having issues.
Meanwhile, Arkansas — UConn’s opponent in the Sweet 16 — was booked at the newer, five-star Vdara Hotel & Spa.
UConn was able to switch hotels and didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, via CTinsider:
“It’s not something we want to make a big deal out of,” athletic director David Benedict said. “Everything worked out fine.”
Either way, this wasn’t a great look for the NCAA. UConn traveled across the country, and instead of being able to relax at the hotel, the team had to pack up and find a new place to stay.
College basketball fans were accusing the NCAA of trying to sabotage UConn after hearing the news. Of all the hotels in Las Vegas to choose, there was no reason to pick the Luxor.