5 Days In Tuscon

When you think of March Madness, you probably think about the tournament that Michigan just won. Which, I thought, was a game that was hard to watch. From March 17th to April 6th, fans get their fill of the best men’s college basketball teams going head-to-head. Per The Hollywood Reporter, this year’s tournament averaged 10.3 million viewers through the Elite Eight.

But what if I told you there was another basketball tournament that showcased elite athletes? Chances are you haven’t tuned in, or maybe never even heard of it. This tournament happened at a Big 12 university. The University of Arizona. The McKale Center. Tickets weren't $400 each. Yet, there were few fans in the stands and a limited number of people who tuned in to the YouTube livestream. The peak number of viewers I saw was around 1.4k. Tiny compared to the 10.3 million. 

This past week, I was able to take a trip down to the McKale Center to watch the National Wheelchair Basketball Association’s 2026 Intercollegiate National Championships. A tournament where 12 men’s teams and 4 women’s teams battle for the opportunity to say they are national champions. 

I have been around wheelchair sports for many years. My sister participated in youth-adapted sports, including basketball, track, and cross-country. She was eventually recruited and played basketball at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), where she played in these tournaments and won national championships. Now she is an assistant coach for her alma mater.

Year after year, I tune in to the national tournaments and games that take place throughout the season. Every time I tune in, the same thing comes to mind. Why are there so few fans in the crowd? The main fans that attend are family and friends of the athletes. From what I have seen, there are a few Universities that bring in a large fan base. However, it does seem that those fans only show up to one game, then they all disappear.

But why? These athletes pour their hearts and souls into this game. A game that we all played growing up. Even if it is just shooting some hoops outside of school to kill a few minutes. They love their schools; they play for pride and show their skills off every game. When I say skills, I MEAN SKILLS. These players are some of the best in the world. Some even go play for their respective national teams.

Let’s circle back to this year’s Natty. From the moment I walked into the arena, my excitement skyrocketed. Coming out of the tunnel and onto the court (I got the special seats thanks to my sister 😉) brought a whole new look at these games. It is fast, it is physical. Much more than can be seen from the stands or watching on a live stream. Just as much thrill, if not more, than the able-bodied games being played.

The full games I watched were UTA. Both men's and women’s. So, I may have been a little biased and more invested in those games. Still, the excitement of the game was great. Hard-fought games throughout the tournament. Watching and almost feeling upset by certain calls made by the refs. The cheering, or lack of it, when a big shot was made. The chants when a three-pointer was made. All of the excitement you see and expect from able-bodied events is, or should I say SHOULD be there. Naturally, there are games that aren’t as competitive and end up being lopsided victories.

As I sat in the stands, I couldn’t help but get more involved in the games that were going on. At one point, a friend and I were cheering for a team we knew absolutely nothing about. The Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs were in a battle against the Arizona Wildcats. Arizona was the #3 seed and had the advantage of playing in its own stadium. The game went on, and we were sitting right behind the SMSU bench. It was back and forth. Boom, Arizona makes a shot. Bam SMSU answers. This was a game where Arizona had the most fans. It was pretty dang loud and wild. So, the SMSU bench turned around and tried to get their fans involved. We couldn’t help but join in. In fact, they became our second-favorite team at that tournament. They did what nobody thought they would. They took down the defending champs, and all their fans, and moved on to the semi-final game.

I was hyped. Blood rushing, seeing those men win that game and push around the court, hugging each other, and the endless number of high-fives was energizing. The raw emotion that comes with these games is incredible. Luckily, the UTA women’s game was next, so I got to take my excessive amount of energy into that game.

The UTA semi-final game was just as thrilling. Going up against Arizona, whose fans stayed for that game to support their women. The cheers when Arizona scored rattled the stands. We held our own, too. Just ask my voice. The chants of U-T- A!!!! rang out after a basket or turnover. It was exciting. UTA eventually took down the Wildcats and secured its spot in the finals against longtime rival Alabama. 

The championship game came, and so did the emotions. My sister said she was ready but also a little nervous. The players looked locked in and ready to go. I, on the other hand, was a hot mess. Nervous, excited, all the above. And I was just a fan! It was funny because I had a surprise in store for the ladies. With about 15 minutes until tip-off, I ripped off my sweatshirt and sweatpants to reveal my superfan outfit. A blue man suit, some orange sunglasses, an orange mohawk, and some orange sunglasses. The crowd loved it, the ladies got a kick out of it, and even the camera guys took note. 

Tip-off came around, and the game got intense. Bucket after bucket, the score kept rising. At one point, the Lady Movin’ Mavs were up by six points. The action picked up, UTA’s Harmonee Ruetes blocked a shot and stared down the Bama shooter. Almost Mutombo-like. I couldn’t help but start the “you got swatted” chant. It was about as intense a game as I have seen in quite a while. You could tell the rivalry hatred was there. Three pointers were being made from both sides; it was action-packed. Halftime rolled around, and the score was tied. Both teams were feeling it. The third quarter rolled by (no pun intended), and it remained a close game. A small lead eventually disintegrated after steals or great defensive stands. The fourth quarter went by, and the Crimson Tide took a lead that UTA could not come back from and went on to win their 14th women’s basketball national championship.

The Men's final followed shortly after the Women's final and was just as exciting. The game featured the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers. This game had more fans from each team than previous games which made the environment even more electric. The game tipped off to the roar of Auburn fans yelling "waaaaaarrrrrrrr" then when the ball was tipped, "eagle." The well known battle cry for the university. Alabama fans did not hold back either. Constant cheers of "Ala-- Bama" echoed in the arena. The game was giving the crowd plenty to cheer about. Layups going in, three's splashing. The score went back and forth keeping all of us on the edge of our seats.

Auburn's Drew Beutel decided to take things into his own hands and put on a show. He hit, what seemed like, every shot he took. It got to the point where I thought if he got the ball, they were going to score. Auburn's lead began to grow when their coach changed up the strategy and started to block out Bama's star shooter Justyn Newman. Keeping him away from the ball and making it extremely difficult to get a good look when he did get the ball. This was a big part of why the Tigers were able to pull away and win their first ever NWBA Intercollegiate National Championship.

So, here’s my thought. What can we do to help grow this sport? What can we do to help bring ALL adapted sports to light? The Paralympics have been broadcast on Peacock and NBC, which is a great form of exposure. Bringing to light that para-athletes can do most, if not all, of the same events.

I believe one thing we can do is introduce and explain the rules and differences between able-bodied and adaptive sports. Take basketball, for example. The rules are almost identical. There are a few things that have been changed for obvious reasons. i.e., traveling and double dribble. However, rules like 3 in the key, over and back, the 10-second rule, and many more are the same. Double dribble has been removed due to the way chairs are pushed. Traveling is changed to two movements of the chair, whether that be pushing, pulling, or spinning, before a traveling violation is called.

Another thing we can do is bring the sport into the mainstream light. Share and spread the word about the game. Let these athletes get their time to shine. Social media has become a great way to spread the word about basically anything we can think of. With the number of sites and pages that post videos and information about adapted sports, we can easily spread the word. There are many different camps and clubs/teams you can get involved with, learn about, and watch throughout the year. There is an opportunity, so let’s spread the love! Adapted sports is no joke, and it is about time EVERYONE sees!