Atlanta has been shut out of the Final Four – again.
After losing the final event of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, Atlanta was not awarded the event for 2027-30.
The NCAA announced the host cities for the four-year window Tuesday. The Final Fours were awarded to Detroit (2027), Las Vegas (2028), Indianapolis (2029) and North Texas (2030). Atlanta was one of the five cities considered. It is possible that Atlanta and Mercedes-Benz Stadium could be awarded the Final Four in 2031. The NCAA had intended to announce the next five host cities but limited it to four with Tuesday’s announcement.
The Atlanta Sports Council publicly stated its desire to land the Final Four and its intention to be a part of the bid process.
“Absolutely, Atlanta will be given significant consideration after last year’s disappointment,” NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in March 2021. “… So they are still very much in our hearts and minds, even today, and they will be given every consideration for the next Final Four selection process.”
Las Vegas will be a first-time host of the Final Four.
“We are excited to bring the NCAA’s premier championship to Las Vegas, a city that for a number of years has hosted numerous championships from several member conferences,” Chris Reynolds, athletic director at Bradley and the chair of the committee, said in a statement. “The feedback from leagues, the fans of their teams and the media covering the events staged there has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are confident we’ll get the same reviews when the Men’s Final Four is played at Allegiant Stadium.”
The Final Four previously was awarded to Houston (2023), Phoenix (2024), San Antonio (2025) and Indianapolis (2026).
“The bad news is it was canceled. The good news is we’ve got a real good chance to get it back. The bad news is it’ll be (six) to 10 years,” Atlanta Sports Council President Dan Corso told the AJC after the tournament in Atlanta was canceled. “… I think the NCAA really appreciated the way we reacted and how we worked with them to untie things in the days following (the cancellation). I think that has put us in a great position.”
The 2020 Final Four was awarded to Atlanta in 2014, another example of how far in advance the event is booked.
Atlanta has hosted the men’s Final Four on four occasions: 1977 at The Omni and 2002, 2007 and 2013 at the Georgia Dome.
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