Future Final Four sites: Host cities, stadiums for 2024 Final Four and beyond

Kevin Skiver, USA TODAY NETWORK

The women's NCAA Tournament will come to its exciting conclusion this weekend at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland as the Iowa Hawkeyes, UConn Huskies, South Carolina Gamecocks and NC State Wolfpack face off in the Final Four.

It will be a weekend full of stars, and, as the sport continues to grow, we may also get glimpses at tomorrow's stars as well. Paige Bueckers is already returning to UConn next season, whereas Caitlin Clark has already declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft, where she will all but assuredly be picked No. 1 by the Indiana Fever.

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The Final Four already moves on a rotating basis, and the women's championship round is set through 2031. It will return to Ohio in just three years and remain in the Midwest for another season after that.

Here is what to know about the immediate future of the Final Four, including this year's site and where it will be in the years to come.

Future Women's NCAA Tournament Final Four locations

  • April 5 and 7, 2024: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (Cleveland)

  • April 4 and 6, 2025: Amalie Arena (Tampa, Fla.)

  • April 3 and 5, 2026: Footprint Center (Phoenix)

  • April 2 and 4, 2027: Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio)

  • March 31 and April 2, 2028: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)

  • March 30 and April 1, 2029: Alamodome (San Antonio)

  • April 5 and 7, 2030: Moda Center (Portland, Ore.)

  • April 4 and 6, 2031: American Airlines Center (Dallas)

Plenty of regions will get representation in the coming seasons. The Final Four will be moving to the South next season, the West the season after, then Midwest again in 2027. From there, it will have a stint out West.

Final Four 2024 host: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (Cleveland)

This year's iteration of the Final Four will be played in Cleveland at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

  • Capacity: 19,432

  • Times hosted Final Four: 2007 (then called Quicken Loans Arena)

The arena opened in 1994 as Gund Arena before being renamed in 2005 by Dan Gilbert. It then rebranded to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse when Quicken Loans became Rocket Mortgage.

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Final Four 2025 host: Amalie Arena (Tampa, Fla.)

  • Capacity: 21,500

  • Times hosted Final Four: 2008 (then call St. Pete Times Forum), 2015, 2019

The Final Four will then move down South to Florida to play at Amalie Arena, home of the Amalie Arena, for the fourth time. It was first played there in 2008 and most recently took place in 2019, when Baylor took home the title.

Final Four 2026 host: Footprint Center (Phoenix)

  • Capacity: 18,422

  • Times hosted Final Four: N/A

Phoenix is no longer any kind of well-kept secret when it comes to hosting sporting events. While the men play their Final Four in Phoenix this season (albeit in State Farm Stadium), the women's tournament will find its way to the Valley in 2026 for the first time.

Final Four 2027 host: Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio)

  • Capacity: 20,000

  • Times hosted Final Four: 2018

Welcome back to Ohio!

The 2027 Women's Final Four will take place at Nationwide Arena for the second time. The home of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the arena last hosted the semifinals and national championship in 2018, when Notre Dame defeated Mississippi State to take home the national title.

Final Four 2028 host: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)

  • Capacity: 18,000

  • Times hosted Final Four: 2011 (then called Conseco Fieldhouse), 2016 (then called Bankers Life Fieldhouse)

Women's college basketball returns to Indianapolis in 2028. Indianapolis, which is intrinsically tied to college basketball lore, will make more memories at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers. The city first hosted the Women's Final Four in 2005 at the RCA Dome, home of the Colts at the time.

Final Four 2029 host: Alamodome (San Antonio)

  • Capacity: 20,662

  • Times hosted Final Four: 2002, 2010, 2021

One of the most well-known stadiums in the Southwest thanks in no small part to its continuity, the Alamodome now houses more niche team sports but still plays home to major events. It has hosted the Final Four three times to date, with a fourth approaching in 2029. This will kick off a stint out West for the Women's Final Four.

Final Four 2030 host: Moda Center (Portland, Ore.)

  • Capacity: 19,393

  • Times hosted Final Four: N/A

In a move that is a long time coming, the Final Four will finally land in the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon for the first time to kick off a new decade in 2030. The Moda Center, formerly known as the Rose Garden, will undoubtedly be a raucous atmosphere.

Final Four 2031 host: American Airlines Center (Dallas)

  • Capacity: 20,000

  • Times hosted Final Four: 2017, 2023

After a brief respite from Texas, the Women's Final Four will return in 2031. Dallas has become a popular host site in recent years, with the American Airlines Center hosting in 2017 and 2023.

How are Final Four sites selected?

As with major events across many other sports (e.g., the Super Bowl), bids are submitted by cities seeking to host.

These bids lay out a number of reasons they should be selected, and could include history, lodging accommodations and, of course, potential revenue. Cities are then selected by a selection committee.

The cities through 2031 were announced in 2022. As women's college basketball continues to grow, expect to see bidding get more and more competitive moving forward.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Future Final Four sites: Host cities, stadiums for Final Four 2024, beyond

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