NCAA Tournament Exploring Single Location For All Rounds

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee announced earlier today that it is making plans to host the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in one singular metropolitan region for the 2021 tournament.

This will be a stark contrast to normal years where the first and second rounds are held at sites across the country, and then the second weekend’s Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games are played at regional sites before the final location for the semifinals and championship game.

The original Final Four and title game location was scheduled for Indianapolis this year, and the NCAA has reached out to city officials to explore the possibility of hosting all tournament games in the greater Indianapolis metro region. The committee included the following in their official press release for the reasons they are exploring a singular location:

The committee emphasized the importance of conducting the championship in a manageable geographic area that limits travel and provides a safe and controlled environment with competition and practice venues, medical resources and lodging for teams and officials all within proximity of one another.

Michigan State has had great experiences with the final site being in Indianapolis. In 2000 the Spartans won the title, and made the Final Four in Indianapolis in 2010 before falling to Butler.