NCAA: Gym Floor’s 3-Point Lines Were Different Distances During Games

The 3-point lines at Moda Center in Portland, Ore., were different distances at the top of the key during a Regional 4 final played March 31, ESPN reported.

One of the 3-point lines was the standard distance of 22 feet, 1.75 inches from the center of the basket to the top of the arc, while the other was shorter, according to ESPN.

The head coaches for NC State Wolfpack and the Texas Longhorns were notified of the error ahead of the game. Both coaches chose to play with the differing 3-point line distances to avoid the delay of remeasuring and retaping the lines, a process they were told would have taken more than an hour. The same court had been used for four regional semifinals played on March 29 and March 30.

NC State Wolfpack emerged victorious over Texas with a 76-66 win. Of the five games played on the court, teams shot 29% from the erroneous 3-point line and 33% from the standard 3-point line, ESPN reported.