Locations for the NCAA men’s and women’s Final Fours are set through 2031, but the organization is now considering potential host cities for 2032 through 2036.
The list of potential host locations includes several familiar cities.
For the men’s Final Four, Denver; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Kansas; Las Vegas; Nashville, Tennessee; and New Orleans are being considered for the five available spots.
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Among them, Houston, Indianapolis and New Orleans have frequently hosted the men’s Final Four. Indianapolis has been the most frequent host in recent decades, staging the national semifinals and championship game nine times since 1991.
New Orleans has hosted the event six times, most recently in 2022. Houston has hosted the Final Four four times.
With more cities opening domed stadiums for NFL teams, the potential pool of Final Four hosts is expanding.
Denver last hosted a Final Four in 1990, one of the last to be played outside a major domed stadium. Las Vegas is scheduled to host its first Final Four in 2028. Nashville has never hosted the event. Kansas City was once a frequent stop for the Final Four, hosting it 10 times, but only once in the past 61 years.
The seven cities being considered for the women’s Final Four are Detroit, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Phoenix and San Antonio. All seven have domed stadiums in their respective metropolitan areas.
Unlike the men’s Final Four, which is played in large domed stadiums, the women’s Final Four has mostly been held in NBA or NHL arenas. Columbus’ Nationwide Arena will host the event in 2027, but large domed stadiums will host the Final Four in 2028 and 2029.
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The NCAA suggests it is possible that the men’s and women’s Final Fours could share a venue in some years.
“The strong interest in hosting the Women’s Final Four reflects the championship’s stature as one of the premier events in sports, and the committee is grateful to every city that participated in the bid process,” said Liz Darger, senior associate athletics director and senior woman administrator at Brigham Young and chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. “The finalists selected to date demonstrated the infrastructure, competition venues, hotel accommodations and community support needed to deliver an exceptional championship experience. They also offer the committee an opportunity to thoughtfully assess how each city can support the Women’s Final Four’s continued growth, in areas such as competition venue options, and evolving future needs.”
