New Orleans is in the running to bring college basketball’s biggest stage back to the city.
New Orleans was named a finalist to host both the men’s and women’s Final Fours during the 2032-36 championship cycle.
The NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees each selected seven finalist cities following their fall meetings.
New Orleans joins Indianapolis and Las Vegas as the only cities on both lists.
Final decisions are expected in July 2027, after representatives from each finalist city make presentations during the committees’ summer meetings in Naples, Florida.
NCAA staff and committee members will evaluate bids through meetings, site visits and additional submitted materials.
New Orleans has staged six men’s Final Fours — in 1982, 1987, 1993, 2003, 2012 and 2022 — and three women’s Final Fours, in 1991, 2004 and 2013.
The city was also scheduled to host the women’s event in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation.
On the men’s side, New Orleans is competing with Denver; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Kansas; Las Vegas; and Nashville, Tennessee.
The other women’s finalists are Detroit, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Phoenix and San Antonio.
Although New Orleans is a finalist for both championships, the committees said in a news release that they are not pursuing a combined men’s and women’s Final Four at a single site on the same weekend. NCAA staff said it would study the feasibility of that concept for 2037 or beyond.
Local leaders react:
Jay Cicero with the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation issued the following statement:
“The NCAA Final Four Local Organizing Committee (LOC), led by Host Institutions Tulane University and LSU New Orleans and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, including the State of Louisiana, Legends Global, New Orleans & Company, the City of New Orleans, and the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is excited to be named a finalist to host the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Fours. These events are critical economic and media exposure drivers for the State of Louisiana and have a long history of success in the Caesars Superdome and Smoothie King Center. Having bid upon and hosted numerous Final Fours, we fully understand this complex bid process in an increasingly competitive landscape. As such, we are eager to continue our work with the NCAA Division I Basketball Committees and Staffs to hopefully be awarded these two incredible events.”
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno issued the following statement:
“It’s extraordinary that New Orleans has been selected as a finalist to host both the Men’s and Women’s Final Four. I want to thank Jay Cicero and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation for their tremendous work in putting together such strong proposals. New Orleans has a lot of momentum right now, and we’re focused on capturing impactful opportunities that bring new investment, economic activity and excitement to our city. We have a proven track record of hosting world-class sporting events, and we’re ready to build on that success.”
READ MORE:New Orleans named finalist to host NCAA men and women’s Final Fours for 2032-36
