Wichita, Kan., will join Dayton, Ohio, as a host city for the opening round of the 2027 and 2028 Division I men’s basketball championships, the NCAA announced on Thursday.
Wichita and Dayton will each host three games per day on March 16-17, 2027, following Selection Sunday. Dayton has served as the host city for the start of the tournament since 2001. The decision in May to expand the tournament field from 68 to 76 teams necessitated adding a second host city.
“We were pleased but not surprised by the number of cities from around the country that very much wanted March Madness to begin in their market,” said Keith Gill, the commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference and the chair of the Div. I Men’s Basketball Committee. “Like Dayton, Wichita is a basketball-crazed community that we expect will embrace the reimagined start of the tournament. Having a city in Middle America will be advantageous for getting teams from various points around the country, many of which won’t be known until Selection Sunday, to the Opening Round and subsequently first-round sites.”
Wichita has hosted tournament games dating back to 1956, when Levitt Arena was the venue for the first round of the Midwest Regional. The NCAA held 24 tournament games at Levitt Arena over eight tournaments through 1981, then Kansas Coliseum hosted first- and second-round games in 1994.
Wichita’s InTrust Bank Arena, which hosted first- and second-round games in 2018 and 2025, will be the opening-round venue for the next two years.
Dayton’s UD Arena holds the tournament record by hosting 145 games, while Dayton trails only Indianapolis (169 games) for most tournament games in one city.
The opening round will feature the 12 lowest-seeded at-large teams and the 12 lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers.
Also this week, the committee voted to allow a school that is serving as a tournament host to play at that site.
Charlotte; Fort Worth, Texas; Louisville, Ky.; Minneapolis; Omaha, Neb.; Pittsburgh; Sacramento, Calif.; and Spokane, Wash., will host first- and second-round games March 18-21. The regional round will be held in Kansas City; Los Angeles; New York City; and San Antonio on March 25-28.
Detroit will host the Final Four at Ford Field on April 3 and 5. The city last hosted the Final Four in 2009.
–Field Level Media
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