With one site still stubbornly being witheld for 2013, I figure that it's okay to guess what schools and arenas are likely to be chosen for the 2014 and 2015 tournaments, which will be awarded sometime this fall. Remember, not all of these combinations are likely to be used, and some of them might not even submit bids.
2014
First Four(March 18-19)
UD Arena
Dayton, OH
University of Dayton
Second and Third Rounds
March 20/22
Times-Union Arena
Albany, NY
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and Siena College
Taco Bell Arena
Boise, ID
Boise State University
Save Mart Center
Fresno, CA
Fresno State University
FedEx Forum
Memphis
University of Memphis
March 21/23
United Center
Chicago
Big Ten Conference
Chesapeake Energy Arena
Oklahoma City
Big 12 Conference
PNC Center(Future name of RBC Center)
Raleigh, NC
North Carolina State University
Alamodome
San Antonio
UTSA
Regionals
March 27/29
East Regional
Verizon Center
Washington, DC
George Mason University
West Regional
Rose Garden
Portland, OR
University of Oregon
March 28/30
Midwest Regional
Xcel Energy Center
St. Paul
OR
Target Center
Minneapolis
OR
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minneapolis
University of Minnesota
South Regional
Amway Center
Orlando
Stetson University and/or University of Central Florida
2015
First Four(March 17-18)
UD Arena
Dayton
University of Dayton
Second and Third Rounds
March 19/21
Honda Center
Anaheim
Big West Conference
Pepsi Center
Denver
University of Colorado
XL Center
Hartford, CT
University of Hartford
Bradley Center
Milwaukee
Marquette University
March 20/22
Wells Fargo Arena
Des Moines, IA
Drake University
Thompson-Bolling Arena
Knoxville, TN
University of Tennessee
Verizon Arena
North Little Rock, AR
University of Arkansas-Little Rock
Carrier Dome
Syracuse
Syracuse University
Regionals
March 26/28
East Regional
If Madison Square Garden gets the 2013 East Regional:
Time Warner Cable Arena
Charlotte
Davidson College and University of North Carolina, Charlotte
If another site is chosen for the 2013 East Regional:
Madison Square Garden
New York
St. John's University and Big East Conference
West Regional
University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, AZ
Arizona State University
March 27/29
Midwest Regional
Ford Field
Detroit
University of Detroit
South Regional
Reliant Stadium
Houston
University of Houston and Rice University
Notes on some sites
Of the five sites that were not selected from the last round of Final Four finalists, only the Twin Cities area has not received a preliminary round selection for 2011-16. Exacerbaiting this are three other conflicts. 1: Xcel Energy Center is likely to remain host to a college hockey tournament for the forseeable future, likely the Big Ten Confernce(in rota with Detroit, possibly Chicago) and the National Collegiate Hockey Conference(in years when the Big Ten is elsewhere). This will most likely keep the X from hosting 2nd and 3rd round games, but regionals should be fine.
2: The Minnesota State High School League might have no fallback option for either the Girls' or Boys' basketball tournaments if Target Center is offered.
And 3: The Metrodome maybe replaced by a new Vikings Stadium(likely with a fixed roof), which may make it unusable due to construction nearby(if not on the actual site). Of course if a stadium is approved(and has a roof), the new digs would certainly get a Final Four or two. But if it isn't, and other conflicts aren't resolved, then the promise of early-round action will be left unfufilled.
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Just curious - are you merely speculating as to the 2014-2015 2nd/3rd round sites, or is this based on actual known applications and other information sources? As someone who goes to 2nd/3rd round games every year - usually somewhere warm in the south or west -the 2014 list is OK but 2015 is awful!
ReplyDeletePhil,
ReplyDeleteThese are just my predictions, and I have no way of knowing who's going to bid or not. That said, there isn't much meat for the 2015 sites. My guess is that the NCAA wouild like to spread things out, that would mean sites like New Orleans, Tampa, Dayton, the Carolinas, and Atlanta, would be left out of the next go-round. Hopefully, the NCAA never goes near Miami ever again(most people apparently hated the atmosphere).
Also, the NCAA needs to give the Twin Cities a site by 2016. As the University of Minnesota unsuccesfully applied for a Final Four back in 2008, the NCAA had promised the U of M an early-round position as a consolation prize. Now I'm not sure if Detroit is to be compensated as Auburn Hills is hosting in 2013, but that is speculation on my part.