Arizona earns hosting duties for 2024 Final Four

The NCAA announced that Phoenix and Glendale earned the 2024 Final Four as it released the hosts for the men’s basketball NCAA Tournament events from 2023 through 2026 on Monday.

Houston (2023), San Antonio (2025) and Indianapolis (2026) also earned NCAA Tournament Final Four events.

After NCAA officials toured the Valley in May, officials from Arizona pitched a final presentation to them in Boston last Wednesday. Dallas, Detroit and Los Angeles also bid for hosting duties.

Arizona bid on the Final Four events in 2024, 2025 and 2026 but did not bid on the 2023 event after University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale was awarded the Super Bowl that year.

The home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals hosted the Final Four in 2017, and North Carolina defeated Gonzaga in the national championship game. South Carolina and Oregon were also featured in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

According to a study from Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business, the Valley brought in $324.5 million in economic impact thanks to the presence of the Final Four, the biggest event-triggered boost other than the Super Bowl.

Arizona was just selected to host the 2024 @NCAA #FinalFour tournament. The Final Four is more than just a great game, it's a spectacular opportunity for tourism and the local economy, and a major platform to showcase Arizona to an international audience. 🏀 pic.twitter.com/bzudqdbzOX

— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) July 16, 2018

The Final Four brought an estimated 59,761 visitors to Arizona who spent an average of 4.16 nights in the Phoenix area, according to WP. Carey research.

Over the next four years, the event will be held in Minneapolis (2019), Atlanta (2020), Indianapolis (2021) and New Orleans (2022).

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