Alabama just made history. No, we aren’t talking about the Elite Eight appearance. The Crimson Tide rained down 25 three-pointers, breaking a 35-year-old March Madness record. Mark Sears alone sank 10 triples, tallying 34 points. But instead of celebrating their achievement, college basketball fans were focused elsewhere—on a referee, whose questionable officiating turned into the night’s biggest controversy.

Tony Padilla has been a college basketball referee for 22 years, and his reputation precedes him. Just last month, he infuriated Arizona fans with a controversial call that handed BYU a win over the Wildcats. Now, it’s BYU’s turn to feel the burn.

With Alabama in control a minute into the second half, BYU’s Trevin Knell hit a crucial three-pointer. It cut the Cougars deficit to eight. But as Knell turned to say something to Bama’s Labaron Philon in celebration, Padilla hit him with a technical foul. John Fanta summarized the moment on X, posting, “The officials just gave Trevin Knell a technical foul for celebrating after making a 3.”

Whatever Knell said, it hardly seemed to justify a technical, especially in a game where emotions run high.

This was Alabama and Nate Oats’ shot at making history. Neither Wimp Sanderson nor Mark Gottfried had ever led their teams to consecutive Elite Eight appearances despite all their successful NCAA tourney seeding. For Oats, it was within reach. BYU, on the other hand, was playing its second-ever Sweet 16 game since the tournament expanded in 1985. The last time they were in the position, Knell was a preteen, watching Jimmer Fredette put up a class act.

Two offensive teams, on the verge of making history, needed that W. Every shot mattered. Every point called for a celebration. “We feed off each other’s energy. We’re competitive as well,” Bama’s Mouhamed Dioubate would say. In such a scenario, a tech for Knell’s gesture is rarely agreed upon. Even little so when it was going to decide the momentum.

The call erased the defining 3-pointer, handing Alabama a free throw that Mark Sears promptly drained, pushing the lead back to double digits at 43-53. The controversy only added fuel to Alabama’s offensive onslaught as they continued their relentless three-point spree to bury BYU.

Fans didn’t hold back their outrage.

Fans call out Ref after BYU’s Knell gets tech while Alabama celebrates freely

One posted, “No way Bama has made 58 threes and not done anything similar to whatever Knell did that somehow deserved a tech.” Their frustration was fueled by the fact that Alabama players had been celebrating threes throughout the game. When Mark Sears hit a three with 13:54 left in the first half, he backpedaled on defense while appearing to say something to Jersey #0 Mawot Mag. Yet, no whistle was blown. This pattern continued as Alabama celebrated big shots, seemingly without consequences.

Another fan echoed the sentiment, writing, “And yet Alabama has done the same thing after every 3 they made, and no techs to be seen. These refs are morons.” The discrepancy was evident, as replays showed Knell never stopped or slowed down while talking to Alabama’s Labaron Philon. The call negated what was a momentum-shifting shot for BYU.

The scrutiny didn’t stop there. One fan directly called out the referee, stating, “Tony Padilla is a clown. Always does this. Officials should be required to answer questions from the press after the game.” And they had a point. This wasn’t Padilla’s first controversial call.

Back in February, during an Arizona vs. BYU matchup, he made a game-changing decision that cost Arizona a crucial win. With just 3.2 seconds left, Padilla blew his whistle on a call that the primary official, Justin Shamion—positioned right on the baseline, chose not to make. Arizona ultimately lost 95-84, sparking outrage and reinforcing the narrative that Padilla’s judgment often comes under fire.

One more fan summed up the sentiment, writing, “Tony Padilla reffing the Sweet 16 is a total joke.” It wasn’t just about one questionable call—it was the blatant inconsistency in officiating that had fans fuming. And the frustration wasn’t new. When Padilla made that controversial foul call against Arizona in February, former coach and analyst Fran Fraschilla didn’t hold back, tweeting: “If that foul call was made during the NCAA Tournament, there would be a national uproar. Let’s put it another way. @BYUMBB Richie Saunders, who should be First Team All @Big12Conference, is a very astute player.”

Yet, despite past criticism, Padilla’s approach to officiating doesn’t seem to have changed.

Another added, “Tony Padilla is the worst, John. Softest T giver in the game.” With a game of this magnitude, players expect physicality and emotion to be part of the experience. Yet, Padilla’s technical on Knell felt like an overreach, especially considering Alabama’s celebrations went completely unchecked.

Adding to the frustration, BYU ended the game with 17 fouls compared to Alabama’s 22, yet it was Knell’s routine celebration that warranted a tech—further fueling the debate over inconsistent officiating.