Atlanta wins bid to host 2031 men's Final Four after 2020 heartbreak

The NCAA announced the host of the 2031 men's Final Four host city, and Atlanta won the bid, marking its fifth time hosting the games. The Big A was supposed to host the 2020 Final Four games. But COVID-19 and the eventual suspension of March Madness robbed it of the chance. The 2031 games will be held between April 5 and 7 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Talking about Atlanta's selection, NCAA senior vice-president of basketball Dan Gavitt said:

“The cancellation of the 2020 tournament, including the Men’s Final Four in Atlanta, was a necessary yet devastating decision for student-athletes, coaches and fans. It significantly impacted the Association and its membership, as well as the city of Atlanta, which has repeatedly been a terrific host to the event.

“The committee has been empathetic in its consideration of replacing the 2020 Men’s Final Four for Atlanta, and ultimately the city competed favorably and won the opportunity to host again at long last in 2031. We are looking forward to working with the Atlanta team to provide another memorable Men’s Final Four experience.”

With the selection, Atlanta along with Kansas City, Indianapolis, New York, Louisville, New Orleans, Seattle and San Antonio are the only cities to host the Final Four at least five times.

Atlanta first hosted the Final Four in 1977 at the Omni Coliseum. The next games came in 2002 at the Georgia Dome, which also hosted in 2007 and 2013.

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2024 March Madness and Final Four venues

The 2024-25 college basketball season will begin on Nov. 4 and wrap up in March, just in time for the Selection Sunday on March 16. The 2025 March Madness will begin on March 18. Sweet Sixteen falls on March 27 and 28 at the Prudential Center in Newark and Chase Center in San Francisco.

The Elite Eight round will be held on March 29 and 30. Atlanta's State Farm Arena is one of the hosts for the games, with Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium being the other.

The Final Four games will be held on April 5 and the 2025 NCAA Men's championship game on April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The other hosts for the Final Four games in the upcoming years include Indianapolis (2026, 2029), Detroit (2027), Las Vegas (2028) and North Texas (2030).

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What are your predictions for the 2024-25 college basketball season? Let's know in the comments section below.