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News & Information
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THE ROAD TO THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY NCAA FINAL FOUR
ANNOUNCED
DIVISION I MEN'S BASKETBALL COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES 2011-13 SITES;
EIGHT PREVIOUS FINAL FOUR HOST CITIES SELECTED TO MARK
THE DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY OF "NCAA MARCH MADNESS"
VERIZON CENTER SELECTED FOR 2011 PRELIMINARY ROUNDS
FOR FOURTH TIME
Eight cities that have hosted the NCAA Men's Final Four during its
storied history were selected by the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball
Committee to host the event's 75th Anniversary in 2013.
Several cities and venues with significance in the annals of championship
history were selected to host preliminary rounds in 2011, 2012 and
2013 including the Verizon Center in the nation's capital. In all,
the committee selected 36 cities over the three-year period. Additionally,
three future Final Four host cities were designated to host a regional
round a year prior to in order to assist in Final Four operations
planning.
"Having recently completed the Final Four site selection process,
the committee knew this would be a challenge," said Dan Guerrero,
director of athletics at UCLA and current basketball committee chair.
"We received some 70 bids and each city could, justifiably,
provide a quality championship experience for the student-athletes.
Interest remains incredibly high in hosting the championship."
2011 Championship
The 2011 championship includes a vast majority of cities that have
served as hosts during this decade. An exception is first-/second-round
host Tulsa, which opened the BOK Center in 2008, but has not hosted
since 1985. Charlotte ranks third among cities with the most tournament
games in history, having served as host 20 times since 1958. Remaining
2011 first- and second-round host cities, each multiple-time hosts,
include Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Tampa, Tucson and Washington,
D.C.
Verizon Center, selected for the 2011 first- and second-rounds
for the fourth time, hosted the preliminary rounds in 1998, 2002
and 2008. The arena has also hosted the 2006 Washington Regional
Round. The games will be played on March 17 and 19, 2011.
Regional sites for 2011 are Anaheim, which will host for the fifth
time since 1998; San Antonio, which has hosted seven times in the
past 13 years; Newark, which will host for the first time in the
city's history; and New Orleans, which has hosted 10 times previously.
The 2011 Final Four will be played in Reliant Stadium in Houston,
Texas.
2012 Championship
First- and second-round sites in 2012 include Albuquerque, Columbus,
Greensboro, Louisville, Nashville, Omaha, Pittsburgh and Portland.
Louisville, which will host for the 13th time, has not hosted the
championship since 1991.
Atlanta will prepare for the 2013 Final Four by hosting the South
Regional in 2012, marking the 20th time the city has hosted the
men's basketball championship, including Final Fours in 1977, 2002
and 2007. Phoenix will host its fourth regional in 2012. The other
two regional hosts are Boston, which has hosted the tournament three
times previously, and St. Louis, which has hosted three Final Fours
and seven regional rounds.
The 2012 Final Four will be played in the Louisiana Superdome in
New Orleans, Louisiana.
2013 Championship
Recognizing that 2013 is the 75th anniversary of the championship,
the committee selected venues and cities which have served as the
backdrop to great tournament moments such as North Carolina's triple-overtime
win in the 1957 championship game in Kansas City, Villanova's upset
of Georgetown in Lexington in the 1985 title game, the Duke-Kentucky
classic in the 1992 East Regional final in Philadelphia, and hundreds
of other plays, players and games that are deep-seated in tournament
history.
Auburn Hills, Austin, Dayton, Kansas City, Lexington, Philadelphia,
Salt Lake City, and San Jose were selected to host first- and second-rounds,
and Indianapolis, Los Angeles and North Texas were chosen for the
regional rounds. Auburn Hills and San Jose both earned bids for
the fourth time since 1997, while Austin was selected for the sixth
time since 1981. Los Angeles has hosted the championship 11 times,
including two Final Fours, but has not served as a host city since
1994, while North Texas will prepare for the 2014 Final Four with
a regional at Cowboys Stadium.
Kansas City, which has served as host to 28 tournaments, including
10 Final Fours, was also selected for 2013. With Indianapolis, Lexington,
Philadelphia, Salt Lake City and Final Four host Atlanta having
each staged more than 75 tournament games, the 2013 championship
will feature seven of the top nine cities for most tournament games
hosted of all time.
Dayton, which has hosted the opening round game since its inception
in 2001 and will do so through 2013, has hosted 23 times in the
tournament's history. One regional site will remain unnamed while
details are being finalized.
The 2013 Final Four will be played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta,
Georgia.
"It's no accident that cities which have been part of the
rich history of this championship were selected to return in 2013,"
said Guerrero. "The 2013 championship will be a nationwide
celebration of 'March Madness,' its tremendous history and the fan
following of one of the world's best sporting events."
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