NCAA tries to stop autograph line for Dawn Staley during Sweet 16 game
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The NCAA got in Dawn Staley’s way on Saturday, and the legendary South Carolina women’s basketball coach didn’t like it one bit.
Staley had just led the Gamecocks to a blowout victory over SEC rival Oklahoma in a Sweet 16 game at the Sacramento region, so South Carolina was heading to the Elite Eight on Monday night and Staley was justifiably feeling good. The second Sweet 16 game in Sacramento was well under way between TCU and Virginia, and Staley came out to the floor to sign autographs for her long line of fans during halftime.
She was trying to sign autographs and take some pictures with those adoring fans who’ve watched her lead the Gamecocks to 3 national championships already. According to Staley, this is something that she’s done for many years at both the NCAA and SEC tournaments, especially when South Carolina plays in an earlier game and there is another game following her’s.
When there is a game going on, Staley will only sign autographs and take pictures during halftime, so the crowds don’t interfere with anyone watching the next game. According to Staley, there were some “really nice” arena workers in Sacramento on Saturday who were trying to help her latest efforts to satisfy her fans. But there was a problem developing amid all the revelry — the NCAA tried to shut it all down.
The NCAA was trying to spoil the Staley party on Saturday, requesting that the autograph line be stopped.
“I’m going to keep going, because this is the way you grow the game,” Staley said.
Here are a few videos posted by CBS Sports’ Isabel Gonzalez of the ever-growing line from Saturday to meet and get an autograph or picture with Staley:
During her off-day press conference on Sunday, Staley explained to reporters what the NCAA was telling her regarding the touchy autograph issue.
“They did say something about a fire hazard,” she said. “But we’ve done this before. We do this at the SEC Tournament. We have our staff members keeping everything organized in a way that is safe for the fans to come get autographs and then exit out — like, real organized.”
With Saturday’s confusion and frustration behind her, Staley is set to lead South Carolina against TCU on Monday night (9 p.m. ET, ESPN) in an Elite Eight battle, as she tries to get the Gamecocks to another Final Four.
“Our game has grown. People want more access to us. I think it’s only right for us to give back to the game. … You didn’t ask me for all of that, but I enjoy giving back,” Staley said earlier this week.
Regardless of what happened with the NCAA on Saturday, Staley has her Gamecocks in their 6th straight Elite Eight with another chance to get to the Final Four. Here is what the Kalshi market is saying regarding South Carolina’s chances to win its fourth national championship under Staley:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
