Despite some upsets, the 2026 NCAA women's basketball tournament largely followed the rankings, with all four No. 1 seeds reaching the Final Four, highlighting the top teams' talent.
However, UConn coach Geno Auriemma issued a stark warning as college sports approaches one year of the revenue-sharing era. He believes mid-major programs will struggle even more, citing the transfer portal as a primary cause. Auriemma noted that coaches now prioritize experienced college players from the portal over high school recruits, often poaching them from mid-major schools, which depletes those programs' talent.
"The portal and the revenue sharing, I think that was the death of the mid-majors," Auriemma said. He argued it's increasingly difficult for high school players to get opportunities when coaches favor college sophomores.
Auriemma proposed a solution: the NCAA should create more tournament opportunities for mid-majors by excluding teams with losing conference records. He referenced the men's tournament discussion about Miami (OH)'s 31-1 record versus Auburn's 17-16 mark, stating such disparities are a major problem.