We all know the history of March Madness – epic upsets and buzz-beater shots! Hopefully, Dallas will be host to some of the tournament’s most thrilling game play.
DALLAS — Dallas has been selected to host the NCAA Women’s Final Four in 2031! This comes as the city prepares to host the 2023 tournament, as well as the Division II and Division III national championship games in late March and early April 2023.
The Monday announcement by the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee said it selected Dallas as one of five cities to host the Final Four from 2027 through 2031.
The other cities include Columbus, Ohio (Nationwide Arena) in 2027; Indianapolis (Gainbridge Fieldhouse) in 2028; San Antonio (Alamodome) in 2029; and Portland, Oregon (Moda Center) in 2030.
We all know the history of March Madness – epic upsets and buzz-beater shots! And hopefully, Dallas will be host to some of the tournament’s most thrilling gameplay in both 2023 and 2031 at American Airlines Center.
In 2017, Dallas was selected for the first time to host the Women’s Final Four, which was home to one of the biggest losses in tournament history when Mississippi State Bulldogs ended UConn’s historic 111-game winning streak in the national semifinals.
Bulldogs junior guard Morgan Williams made a buzzer-beater shot in OT against the Huskies, winning 66-64. The win also snapped UConn’s 28-game NCAA tournament winning streak.
Women’s basketball has been gaining momentum in Dallas-Fort Worth, as more opportunities for college and professional play come to the area.
And with DFW’s own WNBA team, the Dallas Wings, fans may see some college favorites back in action here in North Texas in the future.
Wings’ star-guard and two-time WNBA All-Star Arike Ogunbowale etched her name into the Women’s Final Four magic with not one but two-game winning shots in the national semifinals and national championship game when she played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
And Wings’ center Teaira McCowan was a member of the Mississippi State Bulldog squad that took down the UConn Huskies in Dallas.
“The Women’s Final Four is the premier women’s basketball event in the country, and it’s exciting to see the unprecedented amount of interest from cities to host in the future,” said Lisa Peterson, chair of the committee and senior associate commissioner for sports management with the Pac-12 Conference.
“The committee appreciates all the cities involved in the highly competitive bid process. When we crown a national champion in the selected cities, our student-athletes, coaches and fans will have enjoyed an amazing championship experience,” she continued.
Will women’s basketball fans be witnesses to other mind-boggling runs, game-winning shots and heartbreaking moments? We’ll have to wait and see!
Tickets for the upcoming 2023 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Dallas are on sale now, visit ncaa.com/wbbtickets to purchase. A one-all-session ticket will give fans access to the two semifinal games as well as the national championship game. Fans also have the option to add tickets to the Division II and III national championship games too.
For the latest information about the 2023 NCAA Women’s Final Four, visit NCAA.com/WomensFinalFour.
Here is a complete list of future Women’s Final Four host sites from 2023 to 2031: