In 2027, the NCAA tournament will expand from 68 teams to 76 teams. This creates a new opening round, replacing the First Four, with the 12 games. This will be spread over two days with six games per day. The main bracket of 64 teams remains. A second opening round site will be awarded with Dayton remaining as one of the hosts.
Here’s a detailed look at NCAA tournament future host cities that have been announced for the early rounds of the tournament, as well as the Final Four.
How are cities chosen to host March Madness?
There are a few specific considerations given to cities prior to scheduling NCAA tournament games.
Venue Requirements
The NCAA requires that arenas planning to host men’s March Madness games be fit to a specific capacity. For first- and second-round games, arenas in host cities must have at least 10,000 seats. For Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds, venues in host cities must be able to hold at least 15,000 fans. The Final Four seating capacity requirements jump considerably, which is why the games are generally played in indoor football stadiums. The NCAA prefers to hold Final Four contests in arenas that hold at least 60,000 fans.
City Infrastructure
The NCAA also considers hotel accommodations, local restaurants and public transportation options for fans traveling to the area for the games to ensure that the overall experience is as enjoyable as possible for fans visiting the host city.
Previous Experience
Previous positive experiences hosting NCAA tournament games are always a plus for the NCAA when evaluating potential host cities. If a city has been successful in the past welcoming basketball fans to the city for March Madness contests, they will be seriously considered in the future.
Geography
The NCAA tournament is separated by regionals, so a variety of cities positioned in different time zones each year are a key part of the process. The NCAA annually chooses cities in the East, Midwest, South and West to host March Madness contests, especially early in the tournament.
Men’s March Madness host cities for 2027
Here are the cities that are tabbed to host men’s NCAA tournament games in 2027.
| Round | Date | City | Arena |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | March 16, 17 | Dayton | UD Arena |
| Opening | March 16, 17 | TBD | |
| First/Second | March 18, 20 | Pittsburgh | PPG Paints Arena |
| First/Second | March 18, 20 | Omaha | CHI Health Center |
| First/Second | March 18, 20 | Fort Worth | Dickies Arena |
| First/Second | March 18, 20 | Spokane | Numerica Veterans Arena |
| First/Second | March 19, 21 | Charlotte | Spectrum Center |
| First/Second | March 19, 21 | Minneapolis | Target Center |
| First/Second | March 19, 21 | Louisville | KFC Yum! Center |
| First/Second | March 19, 21 | Sacramento | Golden 1 Center |
| 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 |
Men’s March Madness host cities for 2028
Here are the cities that are tabbed to host men’s NCAA tournament games in 2028.
| Round | Date | City | Arena |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | March 14, 15 | Dayton | UD Arena |
| Opening | March 14, 15 | TBD | |
| First/Second | March 16, 18 | Tulsa | BOK Center |
| First/Second | March 16, 18 | Orlando | Kia Center |
| First/Second | March 16, 18 | Columbus | Nationwide Arena |
| First/Second | March 16, 18 | Salt Lake City | Delta Center |
| First/Second | March 17, 19 | Brooklyn | Barclays Center |
| First/Second | March 17, 19 | Des Moines | Casey's Center |
| First/Second | March 17, 19 | Birmingham | Legacy Arena |
| First/Second | March 17, 19 | Seattle | Climate Pledge Arena |
| East Regional | March 23, 25 | Raleigh | Lenovo Center |
| West Regional | March 23, 25 | San Francisco | Chase Center |
| Midwest Regional | March 24, 26 | Detroit | Little Caesars Arena |
| South Regional | March 24, 26 | Dallas | American Airlines Center |
Future Final Four host cities
While the host cities for men’s March Madness have yet to be announced beyond 2028, the Final Four locations have already been selected through ’31. Here’s where the biggest college basketball weekend of the year will be heading in ’27 and beyond, which includes a first-time host in Las Vegas for ’28.
| Year | Date | City | Arena |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Dallas | AT&T Stadium |
| 2031 | April 5, 7 | Atlanta | Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
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