Atrás
New Orleans is among the finalist cities to host both men’s and women’s basketball Final Fours between 2032 and 2036, the NCAA announced on Tuesday at the end of the association’s fall meetings.
The other six cities on the list for the men’s Final Four are Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City (Kansas), Las Vegas and Nashville.
Detroit, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Phoenix and San Antonio are the other cities that made the cut as finalists for the women’s Final Four.
New Orleans last hosted the men’s Final Four in 2022 at the Caesars Superdome, generating an economic impact of approximately $170 million for the community. That F included a dramatic semifinal between rivals North Carolina and Duke before Kansas defeated the Tar Heels 72-69 in the championship game in front of a crowd of 69,423.
“It’s extraordinary that New Orleans has been selected as a finalist to host both the Men’s and Women’s Final Four,” New Orleans mayor Helena Moreno said in a statement Tuesday. “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.”
New Orleans has hosted the men’s Final Four on six occasions at the Caesars Superdome – 1982, 1987, 1993, 2003, 2012 and 2022.
As a host site, New Orleans has served as the site of some big moments in the history of the men’s Final Four, including Michael Jordan’s game-winning shot to lead North Carolina over Georgetown to claim the title in 1982. In 1987, Baton Rouge native Keith Smart knocked in a game winner to give Indiana the title over Syracuse.
The 1993 Final Four included one of the tournament’s most infamous moments when Chris Webber’s mistaken timeout call helped hand North Carolina the title.
The Crescent City has served as the host site for the women’s Final Four three times – 1991, 2004 and 2013. New Orleans was scheduled to host the 2020 women’s Final Four before the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation.
After the 1991 event was held at Lakefront Arena, the last two women’s Final Fours in New Orleans took place at the Smoothie King Center.
“The finalists selected to date demonstrated the infrastructure, competition venues, hotel accommodations and community support needed to deliver an exceptional championship experience,” Liz Darger, chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee said in a statement. “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. We look forward to the next stage of the evaluation process and to learning more about each finalist.”