The NCAA Final Four is the biggest event on the college basketball calendar.

Not only is it an opportunity to showcase the best teams in the country, wrap up March Madness, and give fans on-site coverage from CBS and TNT Sports, but it is also an unofficial content factory for the journalists and commentators who cover the sport year-round.

The media descends on the Final Four host city each year to create content from Media Row, network with one another, and spread the good word about college basketball, all in one place.

So it is a big opportunity for any person in the media to be approved by the NCAA to cover the Final Four. It is equally disappointing to be denied.

That’s what happened this week to Ryan Hammer, a popular college basketball YouTuber and podcaster who posted his rejection email from the NCAA online, prompting an outcry on his behalf.

Hammer hosts the Blue Blooded podcast and posts video essays, vlogs, and interviews on his personal YouTube channel. Over on TikTok, Hammer posts more quick-hit takes, video breakdowns, and more to his more than 200,000 followers. Hammer is even popular enough to have his own merch line with the sports brand Homefield, emblazoned with his signature “Trapezoid of Excellence.”

But apparently, for the NCAA, none of this was enough.

“I am independent & not a traditional reporter they’re used to, but honestly feels ridiculous knowing the volume of credentials they give out,” Hammer wrote on X.

“Have had zero luck cutting through, so here I am publicly sharing my disappointment.

“Will still be at the Final Four obviously & doing all the ‘coverage’ I need to off site & in the stadium, but doesn’t sit right.”

Thank you so much NCAA for denying credentials for the Final Four!

I am independent & not a traditional reporter they’re used to but honestly feels ridiculous knowing the volume of credentials they give out.

Have had zero luck cutting through so here I am publicly sharing my… pic.twitter.com/rqpxo8igNR

— Ryan Hammer🔨 (@ryanhammer09) February 19, 2026

While many of Hammer’s fans and colleagues came to his defense after the NCAA’s strange decision to reject his credential application, other popular online content creators echoed his frustration.

The NCAA, it seems, is not on board with anyone from the social media or YouTube space covering the Final Four in an official capacity.

Sam Vecenie, who covers the NBA Draft for The Athletic, called out the mistake on X.

“Ryan’s done awesome work this year and is the exact kind of person who shines a light on the awesome qualities of college basketball that the NCAA should be trying to partner with as aggressively as possible,” Vecenie wrote. “This is such an own goal.”

Sports teams and leagues were slow to embrace social media and digital content to reach fans. But even in that context, the NCAA’s approach here feels incredibly outdated.

Not only is social media content and YouTube a massive part of how fans interact with sports these days, but it is also a huge part of how they get news. Even the biggest reporters (such as Vecenie or former ESPNer Jeff Goodman, who later cofounded Field of 64) maintain a strong online presence to deliver information and commentary to their audiences.

As Hammer points out, he will still be traveling to Indianapolis and putting out Final Four content. The fact that he can successfully do so is the ultimate indication of which side needs the other more in this situation.