Final Four Travel Delay Leaves UConn Men’s Team Tough but Unbowed, NCAA Plots Alternative Options.

The men’s team of UConn is the overwhelming favorite to win the Final Four this weekend, but they faced a setback when their scheduled charter plane to Phoenix experienced mechanical issues. This resulted in a six-hour travel delay and initially set them to depart from Storrs, Connecticut at 6 p.m. ET, they ended up leaving at midnight. Fortunately, the Final Four is on Saturday and UConn will have enough time to rest before the big game.

On the other hand, all three of the other Final Four teams were already in Phoenix when UConn was supposed to depart. Alabama and Purdue arrived on Tuesday, while NC State got there on Wednesday afternoon. While the other teams aren’t scheduled to play until Saturday, there are practice and appearance schedules that the Final Four teams must adhere to as part of the build-up to the event.

UConn took the travel delay in stride with some humor but the NCAA issued a statement expressing disappointment with the situation and worked on alternative travel options for the team. Despite the setback, UConn athletic director Dave Benedict hinted at the possibility of leaving some members of the travel party behind to avoid refueling stops on a smaller replacement plane.

The UConn women’s team, also in the Final Four, will hopefully have a smoother travel experience. The men’s team will face Alabama in their first test at 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday after advancing with a dominant victory over Illinois in Elite Eight earlier this month. Their impressive run of ten consecutive double-digit wins in March Madness stretches back to their championship-winning campaign last season.