Dan Hurley’s history with National Championship referees raises concerns for UConn-Michigan final
The UConn Huskies are one win away from their third national championship in four years. Standing in the way are the Michigan Wolverines, who rolled into Monday night’s title game in Indianapolis after dismantling Arizona 91-73 in the Final Four. UConn needed a grittier effort to get past Illinois 71-62, but the No.
2 seed showed enough to keep its dynasty talk alive. Michigan enters as the top seed and just posted its fourth double-digit win in five tournament games. MORE: NCAA schools with both men’s & women’s basketball titles The Wolverines look dangerous, but UConn’s concerns extend beyond the matchup itself.
The officiating crew announced Saturday added another wrinkle to the biggest game of the CBB season. Why the National Championship officiating crew worries the Huskies? UConn’s head coach Dan Hurley during a press conference ahead of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Jeff Anderson, Kipp Kissinger, and James Breeding will work the championship game. Breeding stands out for UConn fans, and not in a good way. He already officiated 10 Huskies games this season and once hit Dan Hurley with a technical foul and ejection.
Officiating assignments don’t usually draw this much scrutiny, but this one comes with baggage. For UConn fans, according to CT Insiders’ David Borges, the presence of James Breeding tends to bring a mix of frustration and concern. The Huskies sit at 34-5 overall but just 7-3 in games Breeding worked.