Columbus was named as one of four cities selected as a finalist to host the NCAA Women’s Final Four in 2025 and 2026.
Ohio’s state capital is up against Phoenix, Portland and Tampa Bay.
“The number and quality of potential host cities for the Women’s Final Four continues to grow,” Diane Turnham, chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and senior associate athletics director at Middle Tennessee, said in a news release. “The Women’s Final Four selection process continues to be successful in identifying those cities that will raise the bar for one of America’s premier sporting events and the world’s women’s basketball events.”
There must be a final bid submitted by April 13. From there, the NCAA committee will take time between June and August to visit each of the finalist cities, which is followed by a presentation by the city of Columbus to committee members from Sept. 23-25. The final decision is to be announced in October, according to the release.
“We are thrilled Columbus has been selected as a finalist to host the NCAA Women’s Final Four in either 2025 or 2026,” Linda Shetina Logan, executive director of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission said in the release. “When Columbus played host to the 2018 NCAA Women’s Final Four, it united our community in a meaningful way and provided opportunities to introduce thousands of people – whether players, coaches, fans or those watching on TV – to our great city.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the NCAA on the bid process and are excited about another opportunity to host these amazing student-athletes and women’s basketball fans in Columbus.”
Columbus recently hosted the Final Four in 2018, and is one of the two finalist cities to have hosted, the other being Tampa Bay, that hosted the event in 2008, 2015 and 2019.
As for the Ohio State women’s basketball team, it has made just one Final Four in program history, a 1993 run that ended in the championship game with a 84-82 loss to Texas Tech.
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