Atlanta to host 2012 NCAA regionals

The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA announced Monday that Atlanta will be a host Regional site for the 2012 basketball tournament. It had previously said the Georgia Dome would be the site of the 2013 Final Four.

The men's Final Four in 2011 will be played at Reliant Stadium in Houston, the NCAA also said Monday.

The 2012 Final Four will be played at the Superdome in New Orleans and in the following year — the 75th anniversary of the event — it will be played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

The NCAA also chose most of the host sites for the early rounds in 2011-2013:

• In 2011, the first- and second-round hosts are Tulsa, Okla., Charlotte, N.C., Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Tampa, Fla., Tucson, Ariz., and Washington, D.C. The regional sites are Anaheim, Calif., San Antonio, Newark, N.J., and New Orleans. It'll be the 11th time that Tucson's McKale Center has hosted NCAA Tournament play, datimg back to 1974.

• In 2012, the early sites are Albuquerque, N.M., Columbus, Ohio, Greensboro, N.C., Louisville, Ky., Nashville, Tenn., Omaha, Neb., Pittsburgh and Portland, Ore. The regional sites are Atlanta, Phoenix, Boston and St. Louis.

• In 2013, the early round sites Dayton, Ohio, Auburn Hills, Mich., Lexington, Ky., Salt Lake City, San Jose, Calif., Austin, Texas, Kansas City, Mo., and Philadelphia. The regional sites, with the East site still to be chosen, include Los Angeles, Indianapolis and the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.