Phoenix to host 2026 NCAA women’s basketball Final Four
Oct 14, 2020, 11:58 AM | Updated: Oct 15, 2020, 8:29 am
Talking Stick Resort Arena (Facebook Photo/@TSRArena)
(Facebook Photo/@TSRArena)
The 2026 NCAA women’s basketball Final Four is coming to the Valley.
The NCAA made the announcement on Wednesday in addition to awarding Tampa Bay the 2025 edition of the Women’s Final Four, beating out the other two finalists in Portland and Columbus.
The 2026 women’s Final Four will be held over Easter weekend at Talking Stick Resort Arena, with the national semifinal games on April 3 and the national championship game on April 5. Arizona State will serve as the host school.
“This is a landmark day for ASU,” vice president for athletics Ray Anderson said in a statement. “We will apply our trademark innovation to provide an unforgettable experience for the NCAA, student-athletes, alumni, media and fans. We thank the NCAA for entrusting the Valley with this iconic championship.”
RELATED STORIES
The event will be the first women’s Final Four since 2012 to be hosted in the mountain and/or pacific time zones and will also be the first on the women’s side to be hosted in Arizona after the 2017 men’s Final Four took place at then-University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.
State Farm Stadium will also be hosting Super Bowl LVII in 2023 and the 2024 men’s Final Four.
“Tampa Bay and Phoenix will be great future hosts for what has become America’s marquee women’s sporting event,” Division I women’s basketball committee chair Nina King said in a statement.
“The committee appreciates all of the cities that were involved in the bid process and know that when we crown a national champion in those cities that our student-athletes, coaches and fans will have enjoyed an amazing championship experience.”
In addition to being awarded the 2026 women’s Final Four, the NCAA announced that Scottsdale’s Greyhawk Golf Club will be the host site for both the men’s and women’s 2023 national championship.
Arizona State will also be hosting three regionals for three different NCAA Division I sports in the future:
–2025 Women’s Golf Regional at Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club in Gold Canyon
–2026 Men’s Golf Regional at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa
–2026 Women’s Gymnastics Regional at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Comments