The NCAA is evaluating host cities for both the men's and women's Final Four from 2032 through 2036. See which cities are in the running — and how your region stacks up in Final Four history.
The Final Four has a home through 2031. Now the NCAA is looking ahead, soliciting bids from cities that want to host college basketball's biggest weekend for the five years that follow. Fourteen cities are in the mix across the men's and women's tournaments — and the list includes some surprising newcomers and long-absent alumni.
Explore which cities are being considered, what they bring to the table, and where March Madness history was made.
- 7 — Men's Final Four Candidate Cities
- 7 — Women's Final Four Candidate Cities
- 5 — Spots to Fill
Your City's Final Four Status
The NCAA is evaluating seven cities for five available men's Final Four spots spanning 2032 through 2036. Host city decisions factor in domed stadium capacity, hotel inventory, and community support.
For decades, a handful of cities dominated the Final Four rotation. Indianapolis became the gold standard, hosting the men's national semifinals and championship nine times since 1991. New Orleans has welcomed the event six times. These cities built the playbook — massive domed venues, walkable downtown hotel clusters, deep local buy-in — that every new bidder now has to match.
But the landscape is shifting. The rise of NFL-scale domed stadiums in cities like Las Vegas and Nashville has opened the door for first-timers. Las Vegas is already on the clock, set to host its first-ever men's Final Four in 2028. Nashville would be making history if selected for any of the five open slots between 2032 and 2036.
The women's side of the bracket tells its own evolving story. The Women's Final Four has traditionally been held in NBA or NHL arenas — a different scale than the men's 70,000-seat domed stadiums. But that is changing fast. After Columbus's Nationwide Arena hosts in 2027, large domed stadiums will take over in 2028 and 2029, signaling a new era for the women's championship.
All seven cities being considered for the women's Final Four — Detroit, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Phoenix, and San Antonio — have domed stadiums in their metropolitan areas. That's not a coincidence. The NCAA is future-proofing the women's tournament for an audience that keeps growing.
The strong interest in hosting the Womens Final Four reflects the championships stature as one of the premier events in sports, and the committee is grateful to every city that participated in the bid processLiz Darger, senior associate athletics director and senior woman administrator at Brigham Young and chair of the Division I Womens Basketball Committee
The NCAA's decision to look ahead to 2032–2036 reflects just how far in advance the logistics of a Final Four must be locked in. Hotel room blocks, police and security staffing, broadcast infrastructure, sponsorship commitments — all of it requires years of planning. Cities that win these bids aren't just winning a basketball game; they're winning one of the highest-profile sporting events the country produces.
The expansion of potential host cities — driven by new NFL stadiums across the Sun Belt and Mountain West — means the Final Four is no longer a rotating door between a handful of Midwest and Southeast cities. Nashville's first-ever bid and Las Vegas's fast-tracked debut in 2028 are proof that the map is being redrawn.
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 Womens Final Fours continued growth, in areas such as competition venue options, and evolving future needs.Liz Darger, senior associate athletics director and senior woman administrator at Brigham Young and chair of the Division I Womens Basketball Committee
How Well Do You Know Final Four History?
Five questions on college basketball's biggest weekend.
Which city has hosted the men's Final Four the most times since 1991?
- New Orleans — New Orleans has hosted six times — impressive, but second place. Indianapolis edges it out with nine Final Fours since 1991.
- Indianapolis — Correct. Indianapolis has hosted nine times since 1991, making it the modern benchmark for what a successful Final Four city looks like.
- Houston — Houston has hosted four times — solid, but well behind Indianapolis's nine.
- Kansas City — Kansas City has hosted 10 times all-time, but only once in the past 61 years. Its era of dominance was long before the domed-stadium era.
The Women's Final Four has historically been held in what type of venue?
- NFL-scale domed stadiums — That's where the men's event is played — and where the women's event is now heading. But historically, the women's tournament used a different type of venue.
- NBA or NHL arenas — Correct. The women's Final Four has mostly been held in NBA or NHL arenas — though that is changing. Large domed stadiums will host in 2028 and 2029, reflecting the tournament's growth.
- College campus arenas — College arenas typically host early rounds of the tournament, not the Final Four. The women's event has used professional arenas as its standard venue.
- Outdoor stadiums — Outdoor venues aren't part of the Final Four format. The shift the article describes is from NBA/NHL arenas to large indoor domed stadiums.
Denver last hosted the men's Final Four in 1990. What made that edition historically notable?
- It was the last Final Four held in a domed stadium for a decade — Close in concept, but the direction was the opposite. The article notes that Denver's 1990 Final Four was one of the last NOT played in a major domed stadium.
- It was one of the last Final Fours played outside a major domed stadium — Correct. Denver's 1990 event was on the trailing edge of the non-domed era. The shift to large NFL-style stadiums changed which cities could realistically compete to host.
- It was the first Final Four held west of the Mississippi — The article doesn't make this claim. What it does note is that 1990 marked near the end of the era before domed stadiums became standard.
- It set an all-time attendance record — The article doesn't mention an attendance record for 1990. Its significance is that it was among the last Final Fours outside a major domed venue.
Which city is being considered for BOTH the men's AND women's Final Four bids for 2032–2036?
- Houston — Houston is only in the men's bid pool. It's a veteran host with four Final Fours but is not on the women's finalist list.
- Las Vegas and Indianapolis — Correct. Both Las Vegas and Indianapolis appear on both the men's and women's finalist lists. The NCAA also noted it's possible both tournaments could share a venue in some years.
- New Orleans only — New Orleans is being considered for both tournaments — but it's not the only city in that position. Las Vegas and Indianapolis are also on both lists.
- Nashville and Detroit — Nashville is in the men's pool only, and Detroit is in the women's pool only. The cities on both lists are Indianapolis, Las Vegas, and New Orleans.
Kansas City has hosted the Final Four 10 times all-time — but what does the article reveal about its recent track record?
- It hosted as recently as 2019 — The article doesn't place Kansas City's most recent host year that close to today. The detail is more striking than that.
- It has hosted only once in the past 61 years — Correct. Despite 10 all-time Final Fours, Kansas City has hosted only once in the past 61 years. Its current bid represents a potential return to a once-dominant host city.
- It lost hosting rights due to stadium issues — The article doesn't cite a specific reason for Kansas City's long absence. It simply notes the city hosted just once in the past 61 years despite its rich history.
- It has never hosted in a domed stadium — The article doesn't make this specific claim about Kansas City's venue history. The notable fact is the 61-year drought between meaningful hosting stints.
How the Women's Final Four Is Changing
For most of its history, the Women's Final Four was held in NBA or NHL arenas — venues built for professional basketball and hockey, seating tens of thousands. That scale worked for a long time.
But the event's momentum has outgrown that model. In 2028 and 2029, large domed stadiums will host the Women's Final Four for the first time. Columbus's Nationwide Arena will host in 2027, likely the last arena-sized venue in the rotation for a while.
The NCAA has also signaled it's open to the men's and women's Final Fours sharing a venue in the same city in some years — a move that would dramatically amplify the economic and cultural footprint of a single host city.
What It Takes to Land a Final Four
- A Domed Stadium — All seven women's candidate cities and the men's finalist cities have NFL-scale or large domed venues. The shift away from smaller arenas is reshaping which cities can realistically compete.
- Hotel Infrastructure — The NCAA specifically cites hotel accommodations as a key criterion for finalist cities. The Final Four draws tens of thousands of fans, coaches, media, and officials who all need rooms within reach.
- Competition Venue Options — The Women's Basketball Committee is explicitly assessing 'competition venue options and evolving future needs' — meaning cities with flexible, modern arena configurations have an edge.
- Community Support — Beyond the physical infrastructure, the NCAA looks for cities that can deliver 'an exceptional championship experience' — local volunteers, transportation systems, and civic enthusiasm all count.
Whatever cities the NCAA ultimately selects for 2032–2036, the decisions will ripple far beyond basketball. Final Four weekends generate significant local economic activity — hotel bookings, restaurant revenue, broadcast exposure — in the cities that win them. For a city like Nashville, which has never hosted, a Final Four selection would mark an arrival on the national sports stage.
For Kansas City, with its 10 all-time hosting credentials now buried under six decades of absence, a return would be a reclamation. These bids aren't just about basketball. They're about what a city wants to say it is.
Stay Current on the NCAA's Host City Decisions
- March Madness Is Growing: Both the men's and women's tournaments are expanding to 76 teams each starting next season — meaning the Final Four will have an even larger field feeding into it.
- New NCAA Eligibility Rules: Division I athletes now have five years to play five seasons under new NCAA rules — changes that will shape which players appear in future Final Fours.
