The NCAA has apologized for the men’s Frozen Four logo appearing on the championship hats given to Minnesota after the Golden Gophers won the women’s Frozen Four on Sunday.
In a statement, the NCAA called it “inadvertent” but something that should have been caught before the hats were handed out.
The issue was brought to wide attention Monday when championship game color commentator and former U.S. Olympian and Harvard player AJ Mleczko Griswold tweeted a photo:
Women’s #NCAA hats given to Nat’l Champ @GopherWHockey in Durham, NH. With men’s #FrozenFour logo. #insulting pic.twitter.com/vL8XUDtovH
— AJ Mleczko Griswold (@AJMleczko) March 21, 2016
The hat mistake drew scorn on Twitter.
. @AJMleczko and yet we all still get equal opportunities ???? #TitleIX #NCAA
— Hilary Knight (@Hilary_Knight) March 21, 2016
@AJMleczko @GopherWHockey freakin insult! #girlscanplay
— Georgie Catalano (@goaliefitness) March 21, 2016
@AJMleczko @GopherWHockey That’s typical and idiotic at the same time.
— Brian (@bsnider_22) March 21, 2016
In response to a question from USCHO about the mistake, the NCAA issued a statement:
“We sincerely regret providing a championships hat with the men’s logo on the side panel to the University of Minnesota’s women’s ice hockey team on Sunday following its championship victory at the Women’s Frozen Four. This was inadvertent but should have been noticed and addressed. We are sending the Minnesota women’s ice hockey team new 2016 championship hats, which they have rightly earned. We apologize to the university, the athletics department and especially to the Golden Gophers championship women’s ice hockey student-athletes for this mistake.”
NCAA championship logos got a makeover this season, and the women’s Frozen Four logo has the same shape as the men’s Frozen Four logo.
These are the logos for the men’s and women’s Frozen Four this season. I liked when they were unique. pic.twitter.com/OK2Ndt0ch5
— Todd Milewski (@ToddMilewski) March 21, 2016
