(July 16, 2018—San Antonio) The NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Committee announced today that San Antonio will be the site for the 2025 NCAA® Men’s Final Four®. San Antonio was one of seven cities vying for the marquee event in 2023-2026 cycle, including Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, North Texas and Phoenix. San Antonio has hosted four Men’s Final Four’s, most recently this past spring.
“This is great news and I want to thank the NCAA for selecting San Antonio as a site for the Men’s Final Four and confirming that San Antonio is one of the best cities in the nation—if not the best city—for hosting a Final Four. I want to thank and commend the hard work of the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee which includes UTSA, San Antonio Sports, Visit San Antonio, UIW and our City staff. Once again, all that makes San Antonio special will be showcased across the country and around the world,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
“I’m very proud of our team,” said San Antonio Sports President & CEO Russ Bookbinder. “After hosting a tremendous Final Four in the spring, we put forward a very strong, comprehensive bid. It’s gratifying to have the NCAA recognize our efforts. From our City partners and host institutions to our volunteers and fans, San Antonio enthusiastically embraces this event, and we’re excited to bring back another Men’s Final Four.”
The 2018 Men’s Final Four, which was held March 30-April 2 in San Antonio had an estimated economic impact of $185 million. The 2025 Final Four is expected to deliver an even greater economic impact and will be held in the Alamodome, which will receive additional improvements and upgrades to the fifth floor including new flooring, lighting and concessions.
San Antonio has hosted four previous Men’s Final Fours (1998, 2004, 2008, 2018), two Women’s Final Fours (2002, 2010) and two Women’s Division I Volleyball Championship (2005, 2011). Today’s announcement culminated months of planning, meetings, facility diagrams, renderings, and presentations. San Antonio’s bid committee, including key members of San Antonio Sports, UTSA, Visit San Antonio, UIW, Alamodome and the City of San Antonio traveled to Boston on July 10 for their final presentation to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee.
“San Antonio is a great site for this event and the NCAA Tournament overall, and we are honored to be one of the two NCAA Division I host institutions for the best sporting event in the nation,” said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy. “The San Antonio Local Organizing Committee is comprised of passionate, committed people who did an excellent job collaborating to secure the Final Four yet again. The City has made an outstanding commitment to continue upgrading the Alamodome, and when you consider the many other benefits that San Antonio has to offer — the proximity of our hotels to the facility, the River Walk, the staff that knows how to run this tournament well — it’s a win-win for our community and we’ll do a great job as hosts.”
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