Phoenix to host men's Final Four in 2017
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Division I men's basketball Final Four will make a rare trip to the West Coast in 2017, with Phoenix among five cities announced as future sites by the NCAA on Friday.
San Antonio, Minneapolis and Atlanta will hold the event in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively, before the Final Four returns to the NCAA's home city of Indianapolis in 2021.
Arizona's University of Phoenix Stadium will stage its first-ever Final Four, which last took place in a western city when Seattle hosted the games in 1995.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}San Antonio's Alamodome will hold its fourth Final Four and first since 2008. The venue also served as the site in 1998 and 2004.
The 2019 and 2020 national semifinals and championship games will be conducted at two buildings that are presently under construction, the Minnesota Vikings' new stadium and New Atlanta Stadium, the future home of the NFL's Falcons.
Minneapolis has hosted the Final Four three times previously but not since the Metrodome held the event in 2001. The 1951 edition took place at Williams Arena and the Metrodome also was the site in 1992.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Atlanta will serve as a host city for a fifth time, with the Omni staging the 1977 Final Four and the Georgia Dome doing so in 2002, 2007 and 2013.
Indianapolis will host its seventh Final Four in 2015 before extending its partnership with the NCAA in 2021. Lucas Oil Stadium last held the event in 2010.
"Ultimately we had to consider every aspect of each bid and go through a voting process no different than when this group meets in March to select teams for the NCAA tournament," said Division I men's basketball committee chairman and Utah State athletics director Scott Barnes. "We feel great about how those votes turned out and are confident this terrific event is in good hands for the foreseeable future. We are going to new buildings, cities that are universally loved for hosting great Final Fours and we are heading West for the first time in more than 20 years."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}North Texas, which hosted the 2014 Final Four, was one of three finalists not selected for this bid cycle along with New Orleans and St. Louis.