INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA announced Monday it would relocate the 13 sites for the preliminary rounds of the 2021 Men's Basketball National Championship. The organization is looking at putting the entire tournament in Indianapolis.
NCAA, Indiana Sports Corp, Visit Indy and others continue to hammer out a possible deal. An NCAA spokesperson told 13News on Thursday that they expect to have a decision by mid-December.
Indianapolis was already slated to host the Final Four April 3-5 next year. The change would mean additional games for the 68-team tournament during March and April.
The Division I Men's Basketball Committee looked to select a location that required limited travel and access to athletic facilities, medical resources and lodging for teams in a close proximity.
"We have learned so much from monitoring other successful sporting events in the last several months, and it became clear it’s not feasible to manage this complex championship in so many different states with the challenges presented by the pandemic," said Dan Gavitt, NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball. "However, we are developing a solid plan to present a safe, responsible and fantastic March Madness tournament unlike any other we’ve experienced."
