With anticipation that the NCAA will award early-round hosting duties for 2014-2016 as early as this fall, here are the cities that have thus far made their intentions known(* Indicates that venue is guaranteed a regional the year before it hosts Final Four):
Buffalo at HSBC Arena(Canisius College, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and Niagara University)
Des Moines at Wells Fargo Arena(Drake University)
Houston at Reliant Stadium(Big 12 Conference)*
Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium(Butler University, IUPUI and Horizon League)*
Jacksonville, FL at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena(Jacksonville University)
Milwaukee at Bradley Center(Marquette University)
St. Louis at either Edward Jones Dome or Scottrade Center(Missouri Valley Conference)
San Jose at HP Pavillion(Unknown host school and/or conference)
Wichita at InTrustBank Arena(Wichita State University)
School planning to bid, but unknown location:
University of Minnesota(Metrodome, Target Center, Xcel Energy Center or proposed Minnesota Vikings Stadium)
Not bidding:
Madison, WI at Kohl Center(scheduling conflicts with state high school tournaments)
This list will grow over the next several months, so if you have information as to who will bid, please post it in the comments section.
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Howard:
ReplyDeleteIs Des Moines gonna get a chance to host at Wells Fargo Arena? Is the Metrodome still viable to host early round tourney games?
Wichita will likely bid to host in the new downtown arena
ReplyDeleteI realize the Target Center has state finals at that time, but could the XCEL Center get in the bidding this time around? It would be great if March Madness returns to the Twins cities!
ReplyDeleteDan,
ReplyDeleteI really hope that the Xcel Center can be included for a potential U of M bid, but I feel that the X would rather prefer to have hockey regionals instead, not that there's anything wrong with those. Also, I'm skeptical that if the U makes a bid for games at the Metrodome, the NCAA may say no. Unfortunately, the X is presumably booked with the WCHA Final Six for the next few years, and that might not sit well with the NCAA either(hopefully the Bradley Center in Milwaukee will stand in as a host, if needed).
Of course, if the NCAA does not choose the U of M as a host, it's renegging on it's promise to the university. Back in 2008, when the NCAA chose Final Four sites for 2012-16, the five losing candidates were promised early-round games during this cycle. Three of them(Glendale, San Antonio, and St. Louis) will host in the next two years, Detroit and Minneapolis have not(although with early round games in nearby Auburn Hills in 2013, Detroit's promise may have been fufilled).