UConn has had a seemingly smooth ride thus far in the men’s NCAA tournament, as the No. 1 Huskies dominated their first four March Madness games to advance to Saturday’s Final Four. However, it appears the team faces a challenge just days before the announcement, as UConn’s trip from Storrs, Connecticut, to Arizona was delayed due to mechanical issues with the plane they were supposed to take Wednesday evening.
The team’s flight is now scheduled to depart around 11:30 p.m. ET, according to the NCAA, more than five hours after the flight was originally scheduled to depart.
Mechanical issues turned into logistical problems, including crew personnel issues and difficulty finding a plane large enough to accommodate the entire team, ESPN reported. Players and coaches are expected to arrive around 2 a.m. local time, with players and coaches given priority on the first flight before other team members arrive on later flights, according to ESPN.
“Together with the school and charter airlines, the NCAA has worked to develop several alternative travel options to Phoenix,” the NCAA said in a statement Wednesday. “We are very disappointed that UConn is arriving later than expected and it is unfortunate that the team’s travel experience has been impacted.”
Free daily sports updates straight to your inbox. Register
Free daily sports updates straight to your inbox. Register
Buy
UConn coach Dan Hurley told CBS Sports the team was scheduled to take off on a chartered flight earlier Wednesday, but the plane from Kansas City did not leave on time due to technical problems and the crew assigned to the flight would have been on their authorized work hours under FAA guidelines.
The other Final Four teams – Alabama, Purdue and NC State – have already arrived in Arizona, according to CBS Sports.
UConn’s game against No. 4 Alabama is scheduled for 8:49 p.m. ET (5:49 p.m. local time) in Glendale, Arizona.
Required reading
(Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)