The NCAA chose Nashville as a finalist to host a future Division I men’s basketball Final Four.
Nashville, along with six other cities, is being considered to host the Final Four between 2032 and 2036. The finalists include Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Kansas City, Kansas.
The NCAA and its Division I Men’s Basketball Committee will announce their decisions about who will host the Final Fours in July 2027. Representatives from the finalists will present a case for why their city should host the Final Four next summer in Florida.
Samford Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Martin Newton, who will serve as chair of the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee for the upcoming season, said, “We are grateful for the record number of cities that expressed interest in hosting the Men’s Final Four, which continues to be one of the world’s preeminent sporting events.”
“Narrowing it down to seven cities to host during this five-year cycle was challenging for the committee,” Newton said.
“We have a terrific blend of experienced host cities and potential newcomers, each of which we are confident will demonstrate that their competition venue, hotels and infrastructure will deliver at the level our participating teams have come to expect at the Final Four,” he added.
Nissan Stadium, the new home of the Tennessee Titans, will open next year. It cost an estimated $2.1 billion to construct.
In reaction to the news, Governor Bill Lee said the state has “invested in a new, covered stadium with a vision to make Tennessee the #1 choice for big events just like this.”
“The Volunteer State looks forward to hosting the Super Bowl in 2030, and we’d be honored to welcome college basketball fans for the men’s Final Four,” Lee said on social media.
Nashville has never hosted the Final Four. Indianapolis will soon tie the record for hosting the Final Four when it does so for the 10th time in 2029, matching Kansas City, Missouri.
New Orleans has hosted the Final Four six times, most recently in 2023. Las Vegas will host the Final Four in 2028, and Denver last hosted it in 1990.
Hosting the Final Four can significantly boost a city’s economy. According to Arizona State University’s Seidman Institute, when Phoenix hosted the event in 2024, it contributed $256.9 million to the state’s GDP.
The event also generated $21.2 million in taxes, most of which went to the State of Arizona.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at [email protected].
Photo “Men’s Final Four” by Disc Wheel. CC BY-SA 4.0.
