A ref collapsed Tuesday night during the Elite 8 game between Gonzaga and USC.
Early in the game between the Bulldogs and Trojans, ref Bert Smith was on the sideline when he appeared to just fall over and stay down for absolutely no reason at all. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Below is one angle of him collapsing.
Terrifying situation in the USC-Gonzaga game after referee Burt Smith collapsed on the court. He was alert while being taken off the court on a stretcher. #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/8aNSq9qodP
— Busted Coverage (@bustedcoverage) March 30, 2021
Here is another angle of Smith going down during the incredibly serious situation.
Bert Smith, veteran NCAA official, just collapsed on the court. He’s now on his feet. pic.twitter.com/BOhBvJT01U
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) March 30, 2021
The good news is that Smith eventually became conscious, according to a tweet from SportsCenter.
Official Bert Smith was conscious while being taken off on a stretcher after collapsing on the court during USC-Gonzaga. pic.twitter.com/BsX6XCiwCA
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 30, 2021
There are few things scarier than collapsing for no apparent reason. When something like that happens, people start to panic, and it’s not a mystery why.
It’s an incredibly serious situation.
Referee Bert Smith was stretched off after collapsing in the USC-Gonzaga game.
Hope he’s okay ???? pic.twitter.com/WZXo7V7nbv
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 30, 2021
Luckily, it looks like Smith is stable. Hopefully, he bounces back and makes a full recovery soon.