Ref Bert Smith reportedly wasn’t taken to a hospital Tuesday night after collapsing during the Gonzaga/USC game.
Early in the blowout win for the Bulldogs, ref Bert Smith collapsed on the court for seemingly no reason at all. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
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
In the immediate aftermath, Smith was placed on a stretcher and taken off the court as the game resumed.
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
The good news is that Smith turned out to be fine at the end of the day. According to Pete Thamel, Smith wasn’t taken to the hospital and returned to an “alert and stable” state.
Update on official Bert Smith. He’s “alert and stable” and will not be transported to the hospital. Great news after a scary scene.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 31, 2021
This is the best update possible. We still aren’t sure why Smith collapsed, but it looks like everything is going to be just fine.
If it was a super serious situation, he would have been rushed to a hospital in an ambulance. The fact he wasn’t taken at all is a great indication that he’s going to be just fine.
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
It was still incredibly scary, but I’m glad the outcome is a positive one.