The NCAA basketball court used for the women's basketball regionals at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, was discovered to have a 9-inch discrepancy in the measurement of one of its 3-point lines. The error was made by the contractor responsible for manufacturing the courts used throughout March Madness.

UConn and USC were scheduled to play the last Elite Eight game to determine the Final Four spot later Monday on that court. Upon the discovery of the mistake, the line was promptly corrected by the NCAA.

The contractor responsible for the error was not identified by the NCAA. However, the marking used to draw the line at the top of the arc in the center of the court was found to be too short.

An email update sent to members by Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president for women's basketball, explained that a small hole is punched in the floor at each end of the court during the finishing process, indicating the "center-of-basket." A calibrated vinyl-tape device is then placed in the hole to lay the 2-inch game line to be painted.

The mistake was discovered during a review of the Portland court, where it was found that the center hole was punched about 9 inches short of where it should have been at the apex of the 3-point arc.

Upon further investigation, it was determined that the inaccurate line was the result of human error by the finisher contracted by Connor Sports, the supplier and installer of the courts used by the NCAA. However, other court markings and the sides of the 3-point line were found to be accurately painted.

The discrepancy in distance was noticed before the Elite Eight game between Texas and North Carolina State on Sunday. Despite the mismatched 3-point lines, the coaches agreed to proceed with the game as scheduled rather than causing a delay. N.C. State went on to defeat Texas 76-66 and secured a spot in the Final Four.

The NCAA 3-point line is standardized at 22 feet, 1 3/4 inches for both women and men at the top of the arc. Teams shooting from the incorrect line in Portland were 23 for 89 (25.8%), while those shooting from the accurate line were 29 for 87 (33.3%) over five games.

N.C. State coach Wes Moore acknowledged the unusual situation but did not attribute the outcome of the games to the discrepancy. He pointed out that players often shoot from varying distances beyond the 3-point line, making it difficult to determine if it provided an advantage or disadvantage.

Following the incident, the NCAA expressed apologies for the error and the delay in identifying it. They also promised to implement additional quality control measures with their suppliers and vendors to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Connor Sports, the hardwood sports flooring company responsible for the court, acknowledged the error and had technicians on-site to make the necessary corrections immediately after the game.

In arenas that host different types of basketball events, multiple courts are often used. The difference between an NBA court and a college court lies in the distance between the 3-point line and the basket, with the NCAA line positioned at 22 feet, 1 3/4 inches, while the NBA line is a foot farther.