Trending Now - Referee Omitted From Final Four Following Controversial Incident

WHO:

ESPN - Roger Ayers stated to ESPN's Seth Greenberg, "What are you talking about? He literally didn’t know what I was talking about."

NY Post - Roger Ayers is the referee involved in the incident.

ESPN - Dan Hurley is the head coach of UConn.

ESPN - Braylon Mullins is a freshman player for UConn.

WHAT:

ESPN - UConn's comeback victory over Duke marked their eighth Final Four trip and their third in four years under Dan Hurley.

ESPN - Braylon Mullins made a 35-foot 3-point shot to give UConn a 73-72 lead with 0.4 seconds remaining in the game.

ESPN - Roger Ayers is not among the referees assigned to officiate the men's Final Four.

ESPN - UConn completed a comeback from a 19-point deficit to beat Duke 73-72 in the East Regional final.

ESPN - The incident between Hurley and Ayers went viral on social media.

ESPN - Ayers has officiated seven Final Fours, including the one in 2025.

ESPN - Hurley was not called for a technical foul during the game against Duke.

WHERE:

ESPN - The Final Four will take place in Indianapolis.

WHEN:

ESPN - The NCAA announced the officials for the Final Four on March 30th, 2026.

ESPN - The NCAA announced the officials for the Final Four on March 30th, 2026.

ESPN - UConn's victory over Duke occurred on March 29th, 2026.

ESPN - The first Final Four game is scheduled for April 2nd, 2026.

WHY:

ESPN - The decision to not assign Ayers to the Final Four follows the controversial incident with Hurley, who was ejected from a regular-season game earlier in March 2026 against Marquette after making contact with referee John Gaffney.

ESPN - The decision to not assign Ayers to the Final Four follows the controversial incident with Hurley.

HOW:

ESPN - The interaction between Hurley and Ayers was captured on camera, showing them bumping heads for a few seconds before walking in opposite directions.

ESPN - Ayers stated to ESPN's Seth Greenberg that "nothing happened" with Hurley and that the interaction was "absolutely nothing."

(UPDATED March 31, 2026 23:07 UTC)

UConn's thrilling comeback victory over Duke has secured them their eighth trip to the Final Four and their third in four years under coach Dan Hurley, highlighted by Braylon Mullins' incredible 35-foot 3-pointer that gave UConn a 73-72 lead with just 0.4 seconds left in the game. Meanwhile, the NCAA announced the officials for the Final Four on Monday, but Roger Ayers will not be among them following a controversial incident earlier this month where Hurley was ejected after making contact with Ayers during a game against Marquette. The moment between Hurley and Ayers, which involved them bumping heads, was captured on camera and has drawn significant attention leading up to the tournament.

--

(UPDATED March 31, 2026 21:11 UTC)

UConn's remarkable comeback from a 19-point deficit led them to a thrilling 73-72 victory over Duke in the East Regional final on Sunday, but the game also sparked controversy involving head coach Dan Hurley and referee Roger Ayers, who is not among the officials assigned to the upcoming Final Four in Indianapolis. The NCAA announced the officiating lineup on Monday, following the viral incident, which Ayers downplayed in a statement to ESPN, claiming that "nothing happened" with Hurley. The first Final Four game is set to take place April 2nd, as UConn looks to continue their championship run.