The city of Phoenix has been named as a finalist to host the NCAA Women's Final Four in either 2025 or 2026, according to a release from the NCAA Monday afternoon.
The Phoenix City Council supported a bid in early January to host the tournament's final three games and has since authorized the bid.
The three other cities named by the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee along with Phoenix are Columbus, Ohio; Portland, Oregon; and Tampa, Florida.
"The number and quality of potential host cities for the Women’s Final Four continues to grow," Diane Turnham, chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee, said in a statement.
Phoenix is bidding to host the Final Four in what will be a renovated Talking Stick Resort Arena, which aims to have its changes completed by 2021.
The final bids for each of the cities are due April 13, with the committee conducting site visits from June to August of 2020. In-person presentations will be conducted from Sept. 23-25, with the winning cities being announced in October.
If Phoenix were to win the bid, it would be the first time the city will host a Women's Final Four after hosting the Men's Final Four in 2017 and being awarded the men's contest again in 2024.
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Jeffrey Horst is the digital editor-in-chief of The State Press. He previously served as the publication's sports editor and worked at Cronkite News and ArizonaSports.com.
