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Indianapolis to Host All 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships, All 2028 Women’s Basketball Championships – Sports Travel Magazine
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Indianapolis will host all three NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament championships plus the NIT in 2026 along with all three NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament championships in 2028.
The men’s setup in 2026 will be the first time the NCAA will host its three men’s basketball championships on one weekend in the same city since Atlanta in 2013. The three NCAA women’s basketball championships were hosted in the same city on the same weekend in 2016 in Indianapolis and again in Dallas in 2023.
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The NCAA D1 Women’s Basketball Committee also announced it will continue to have the Division I Tournament organized in the same format next season with the First Four and first- and second-round games hosted by the top 16 seeds, which will be announced on Selection Sunday. Regional play will take place at two host sites, with eight teams competing in Birmingham, Alabama, and Spokane, Washington, March 28-31.
“The women’s basketball championship has enjoyed tremendous success over the last couple of years, with record-breaking attendance and television ratings during March Madness,” said Derita Dawkins, chair of the committee and Arkansas assistant vice chancellor and deputy director of athletics. “The current preliminary-round format is providing an elevated student-athlete and fan championship experience. We feel good about the growth of the championship and where we are positioned.”
Indianapolis, which famously hosted the entire NCAA Men’s Division I Tournament during the pandemic, will host the Final Four on April 4 and 6, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium. It will mark the ninth time that Indianapolis will serve as host. The NIT will play its semifinals April 2 at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse, with the title game scheduled for April 5. Sunday’s schedule will also include the Divisions II and III championship games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers.
“This will be a tremendous celebration of men’s college basketball across all three divisions in Indy,” said Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball. “When we did this in 2013, we had nearly 8,000 fans watching the Divisions II and III championship games and the final two nights of this year’s NIT at Hinkle Fieldhouse featured sold-out crowds of more than 9,000 fans. It will be an awesome opportunity for student-athletes at the participating schools, as well as a showcase for the legendary college basketball fans in Indiana.”
Indianapolis in 2028 will see all three women’s divisions crown champions over the same weekend, March 31-April 2. Indianapolis was previously awarded the Women’s Final Four; final approval is expected by the Division II and III governance structures.
“There has been overwhelming membership and fan support for bringing back the joint championships, and we are proud to announce the next one taking place in 2028,” said Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president of women’s basketball. “Indianapolis has proven to be a great site for hosting the joint championships format in the past. We know that it will again be a tremendous celebration of women’s basketball across all three divisions.”
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