This story was originally published by Dead Spin
The NCAA awarded the men’s Final Four in 2031 to Atlanta on Thursday.
It will mark the city’s first Final Four since 2013, which was hosted at the now-demolished Georgia Dome. Atlanta was scheduled to hold the Final Four in 2020 at the Atlanta Falcons’ new venue, Mercedez-Benz Stadium, but the NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Atlanta had to wait another decade-plus to get back into the rotation. It will join Kansas City, Indianapolis, New York, New Orleans, San Antonio, Seattle and Louisville, Ky., as cities to host at least five Final Fours.
“The cancellation of the 2020 tournament, including the Men’s Final Four in Atlanta, was a necessary yet devastating decision for student-athletes, coaches and fans. It significantly impacted the Association and its membership, as well as the city of Atlanta, which has repeatedly been a terrific host to the event,” Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball, said in a statement. “The committee has been empathetic in its consideration of replacing the 2020 Men’s Final Four for Atlanta, and ultimately the city competed favorably and won the opportunity to host again at long last in 2031. We are looking forward to working with the Atlanta team to provide another memorable Men’s Final Four experience.”
Mercedes-Benz Stadium will hold the Final Four on April 5, 2031, and the national championship game on April 7.
The Final Four for the upcoming 2024-25 season will be hosted by San Antonio. Indianapolis is taking turns in 2026 and 2029. Detroit and Las Vegas were awarded the 2027 and 2028 Final Fours back in 2022, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area will be home to the 2030 Final Four.
–Field Level Media
