Future March Madness Host Cities for 2025, 2026 and Beyond

Nate Cunningham | Dec 6, 2024

The NCAA has already selected all the March Madness host cities for the next three years. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

There’s nothing quite like the NCAA tournament. They call it March Madness for a reason: because it provides edge-of-your-seat men’s college basketball entertainment unlike anything else. The craziness that regularly ensues is what captivates the nation. 

Sure, that No. 15 seed just ruined your bracket. But who cares? What a game! What an upset! 

And while most of us are content to watch the games on television, fans around the country follow their team to catch the games live and in person. 

Where will the teams who make the cut on Selection Sunday be heading? Let’s break it down.

Where Will March Madness Be Held in the Coming Years?

Each year the slate of host cities changes. The only constant is Dayton, Ohio. Dayton hosts the First Four games of the NCAA tournament, mainly because of its central location. 

The city is easily accessible to most Americans and the city has this down to a science at this point. Dayton has hosted the opening round since 2001 and the First Four since '11. 

This experience means a smooth experience for teams, media and fans. 

March Madness Host Cities for 2025

Round	Date	City	Arena
First Four	March 18, 19	Dayton, Ohio	UD Arena
First/Second	March 20, 22	Denver	Ball Arena
First/Second	March 20, 22	Providence	Amica Mutual Pavilion
First/Second	March 20, 22	Lexington, Ky.	Rupp Arena
First/Second	March 20, 22	Wichita, Kan.	Intrust Bank Arena
First/Second	March 21, 23	Cleveland	Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
First/Second	March 21, 23	Milwaukee	Fiserv Forum
First/Second	March 21, 23	Raleigh	Lenovo Center
First/Second	March 21, 23	Seattle	Climate Pledge Arena
East Regional	March 27, 29	Newark	Prudential Center
West Regional	March 27, 29	San Francisco	Chase Center
South Regional	March 28, 30	Atlanta	State Farm Arena
Midwest Regional	March 28, 30	Indianapolis	Lucas Oil Stadium

March Madness Host Cities for 2026

Round	Date	City	Arena
First Four	March 17, 18	Dayton, Ohio	UD Arena
First/Second	March 19, 21	Buffalo	KeyBank Center
First/Second	March 19, 21	Greenville, S.C.	Bon Secours Wellness Arena
First/Second	March 19, 21	Oklahoma City	Paycom Center
First/Second	March 19, 21	Portland	Moda Center
First/Second	March 20, 22	Tampa	Amalie Arena
First/Second	March 20, 22	Philadelphia	Wells Fargo Center
First/Second	March 20, 22	San Diego	Viejas Arena
First/Second	March 20, 22	St. Louis	Enterprise Center
South Regional	March 26, 28	Houston	Toyota Center
West Regional	March 26, 28	San Jose	SAP Center
Midest Regional	March 27, 29	Chicago	United Center
East Regional	March 27, 29	Washington, D.C.	Capital One Arena

March Madness Host Cities for 2027

Round	Date	City	Arena
First Four	March 16, 17	Dayton, Ohio	UD Arena
First/Second	March 19, 21	Charlotte	Spectrum Center
First/Second	March 18, 20	Pittsburgh	PPG Paints Arena
First/Second	March 19, 21	Minneapolis	Target Center
First/Second	March 18, 20	Omaha	CHI Health Center
First/Second	March 19, 21	Louisville	KFC Yum! Center
First/Second	March 18, 20	Fort Worth	Dickies Arena
First/Second	March 19, 21	Sacramento	Golden 1 Center
First/Second	March 18, 20	Spokane	Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
South Regional	March 25, 27	San Antonio	Frost Bank Center
West Regional	March 25, 27	Los Angeles	Crypto.com Arena
Midwest Regional	March 26, 28	Kansas City, Mo.	T-Mobile Center
East Regional	March 26, 28	New York	Madison Square Garden

March Madness Host Cities for 2028

Round	Date	City	Arena
First Four	March 14, 15	Dayton, Ohio	UD Arena
First/Second	March 17, 19	Tulsa	BOK Center
First/Second	March 17, 19	Brooklyn	Barclays Center
First/Second	March 17, 19	Orlando	Kia Center
First/Second	March 17, 19	Des Moines	Wells Fargo Arena
First/Second	March 17, 19	Columbus, Ohio	Nationwide Arena
First/Second	March 17, 19	Birmingham	Legacy Arena
First/Second	March 17, 19	Salt Lake City	Delta Center
First/Second	March 17, 19	Seattle	Climate Pledge Arena
South Regional	March 24, 26	Dallas	American Airlines Center
West Regional	March 23, 25	San Francisco	Chase Center
Midwest Regional	March 24, 26	Detroit	Little Caesers Arena
East Regional	March 23, 25	Raleigh	Lenovo Center

How Cities Are Chosen to Host March Madness

The NCAA hosts a bidding process for cities to get March Madness games. Overall, the process involves evaluating proposals submitted by the city or the venue. Certain requirements must be met for a city or venue to be considered.

Cities will submit a bid or proposal to the NCAA. Those proposals are then evaluated by NCAA officials. Each host city must meet certain criteria to be selected. 

Venue Requirements: The NCAA requires that venues seeking to host the first and second rounds have at least 10,000 seats. The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds require at least 15,000 seats. For the Final Four, the NCAA usually opts for stadiums or domes with at least 60,000 seats. These facilities must have modern amenities and the infrastructure capable of accommodating the massive influx of viewers safely and efficiently.

Hotels and Infrastructure: Host cities must have a sufficient number of hotels within a short distance to the arena. The NCAA also considers nearby eateries and attractions when selecting host cities. Public transportation, road conditions and traffic patterns are also studied. 

Previous Experience: The NCAA gives preference to cities that previously and successfully hosted tournament games. A huge influx of people can create a number of problems quickly, so past experience is highly valuable.

Community Impact: When evaluating bids, the NCAA considers the economic benefits to the city and local communities. Submitted proposals often highlight potential partnerships with local organizations. 

Geographic Distribution: Nationwide accessibility to games is a must for the NCAA, so host cities are scattered throughout the U.S. to ensure that fans don’t need cross-country flights to watch the tournament live. 

Financial Considerations: It is very common for host cities and venues to offer revenue sharing deals in their proposals. This obviously strengthens the bid as it reduces the cost for the NCAA. 

Future Final Four Host Cities

Year	Date	City	Arena
2025	April 5, 7	San Antonio	Alamodome
2026	April 4, 6	Indianapolis	Lucas Oil Stadium
2027	April 3, 5	Detroit	Ford Field
2028	April 1, 3	Las Vegas	Allegiant Stadium
2029	March 31, April 2	Indianapolis	Lucas Oil Stadium
2030	April 6, 8	North Texas	AT&T Stadium
2031	April 5, 7	Atlanta	Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Cities with a Strong History of Hosting March Madness

According to NCAA.com, New York, Greensboro, S.C., and Indianapolis are the active leaders in March Madness games hosted. 

Madison Square Garden has hosted 80 games, the Greensboro Coliseum has hosted 69 and the RCA Dome has hosted 60. 

San Antonio has hosted the Final Four a record five times for men’s basketball. By 2029, Indianapolis will also have hosted the event five times. Houston has hosted three times, as has Atlanta. 

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