City Aims to Finish What it Started in 2020
ATLANTA (November 22, 2022) – For the sixth time Atlanta has been named host city for men’s college basketball’s biggest event – the NCAA Final Four – but this will be the fifth time the city will host the event. The 2020 NCAA Men’s Final Four was cancelled just two weeks before tipoff due to COVID-19. Earlier today the NCAA awarded Final Four sites for 2027-2031. This will be the first time Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host the event. Atlanta previously hosted the event at the Omni (1977) and at the Georgia Dome (2002, 2007, 2013) and Mercedes-Benz Stadium was awarded the 2020 event.
A contingent from the Atlanta Bid Committee met with NCAA staff and the Men’s Basketball Committee in late October in Houston to complete the final phase of the yearlong bid process.
The NCAA had already named Houston (NRG Stadium – 2023), Phoenix (State Farm Stadium – 2024), San Antonio (Alamodome – 2025) and Indianapolis (Lucas Oil Stadium – 2026) as the host cities for the NCAA Men’s Final Four for the next four years.
In its presentation to the NCAA, the Atlanta Bid Committee focused on “finishing what we started” based on being merely weeks away from hosting for the fifth time until the event’s cancellation due to COVID-19. The bid also focused on accessibility to the world’s busiest airport and an enhanced downtown Atlanta with the addition of the Centennial Yards development and the new Signia by Hilton Atlanta currently being constructed on the Georgia World Congress Center campus.
“After a year-long bid process, we are thrilled with the NCAA’s decision to award Atlanta the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four for a sixth time,” said Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports Council. “Coming off the cancelled event in March of 2020 due to COVID-19, we were ready and eager to throw our name back into the hat to host a future Final Four – we certainly felt the need to finish what we started back in 2020. We value our longstanding relationship with the NCAA and are grateful to them for allowing us this opportunity yet again and look forward to showcasing all Atlanta has to offer to basketball fans around the country in 2031.”
The Atlanta Sports Council Spearheaded the bid alongside its partners in the community including the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, City of Atlanta, Georgia Tech Athletics, Georgia World Congress Center Authority, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the State of Georgia.
“Georgia has consistently set itself apart as a world-class host of premier sporting events and looks forward to once again welcoming players and fans to Atlanta for the NCAA Men’s Final Four,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “As a four-time host of this event, we’re confident our Southern hospitality will be on full display as the 2031 NCAA Men’s Basketball Champion is crowned. As our hospitality and service industries continue to lead the nation in recovering from the pandemic, this tournament will be another important step in that recovery.”
“Time and again, Atlanta has proved itself as a world-class host city and we could not be prouder to host the Final Four for the fifth time,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “In addition to superior venues, hotels and restaurants, it is our people—public safety officials, healthcare professionals, members of the business community and our residents—who provide an experience only a welcoming city like Atlanta can deliver. Thank you to the NCAA for another opportunity to showcase the capital of the South.”
“Atlanta’s bid to host another NCAA Men’s Final Four was exceptional, and we look forward to picking up where we left off in 2020,” said William Pate, president and CEO, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. “This is an exciting win for our city, and we can’t wait to welcome thousands of visitors to Atlanta in 2031.”
“Our goal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium is to host the world’s largest sporting events, which includes the opportunity to host the NCAA Men’s Final Four,” said AMB Sports & Entertainment Chief Revenue Officer, Tim Zulawski. “We are extremely grateful to host the NCAA’s marquee event and are looking forward to seeing the nets cut down at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2031.”
“We’re thrilled that the NCAA Division I Men’s Final Four will return to Atlanta in 2031,” Georgia Tech director of athletics J Batt said. “Hosting the Final Four puts our Institute, our athletics department and our great city and state on the worldwide stage. We couldn’t be more excited to continue working with our friends with the Atlanta Sports Council, the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, AMB Sports & Entertainment, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, the City of Atlanta and the State of Georgia to welcome basketball fans from across the globe to Atlanta in 2031.”
The 2031 NCAA Men’s Final Four joins Atlanta Sports Council’s schedule of major upcoming sporting events including:
- The 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship
- The 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Division I Regional
- The 2026 FIFA World Cup
About the Atlanta Sports Council
The Atlanta Sports Council (ASC), a division of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, facilitates the growth and development of sports in metro Atlanta by serving as a recruiter for major regional, national and international sports events. The organization plays an important role in improving the quality of life for residents in the region through sports, working to drive economic growth and visibility and acting as an advocate for area teams and annual sports events. For more information, visit https://www.metroatlantachamber.com/councils/atlanta-sports-council.
