Looks like UConn wasn't a fan of having to play all of its NCAA tournament games outside of Connecticut last year for the first time since making its first NCAA appearance in 1989.

That is how I viewed the news that The Arena at Harbor Yard was one of 16 subregional sites for the 2012 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. As it was in 2008, using Bridgeport as a site for the first and second rounds is a way to allow the NCAA to capitalize on UConn's drawing power. While there's nothing wrong with that, the stipulation that the same sites can't be used year after year. So how does UConn get around that? By having subregionals in Bridgeport every few years to get around the rules. Perhaps this would not annoy me as much if the NCAA did not use the term "grow the game" when it announces subregional and regional sites as it did in today's press release.

If the NCAA is truly going to take the step of pretending that it wants to "grow the game" not giving powerhouse programs like UConn home-court advantages pretty much every year would be a nice place to start. With Rhode Island one of the regional sites, it's highly likely that UConn would not have to leave New England before the Final Four in 2012. I'd have a lot more respect if the NCAA people can out and said "hey, we know a good thing when we see it so why wouldn't we have a subregional in women's basketball crazy Connecticut every year?" than to pretend they are doing this to "grow the game."