(Oct. 2, 2024—San Antonio) The NCAA® announced today that San Antonio will be the site for the 2026 NCAA® DI Women’s Volleyball Championship and 2027 NCAA DI Men’s Basketball Regional. The NCAA received more than 1,200 bids from member schools, conferences, cities and sports commissions across 47 states and Washington, D.C., all competing to host predetermined rounds for 87 of the NCAA’s 90 championships. San Antonio has previously hosted two NCAA Volleyball Championships: (2005, 2011) and 11 Men’s Basketball Regionals. The volleyball championship will be held in the Alamodome and the regional will be held in the Frost Bank Center.
The announcement comes as welcome news as the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee (SALOC) prepares to host the 2025 Men’s Final Four in the Alamodome April 5 and 7. The San Antonio Local Organizing Committee, which is a partnership between UTSA, the City of San Antonio, Visit San Antonio and San Antonio Sports, has a strong history of hosting successful NCAA Championships that have generated hundreds of millions of dollars for the San Antonio economy.
“We are delighted and honored to host the Division I Women’s Volleyball Championships,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “San Antonio has enjoyed having the DI Women’s Championships twice before, and our third time will be even more exciting as women’s sports gain significant momentum around the nation. Notably, more than 30 Division schools set attendance records for volleyball during the regular season. We are also excited that the NCAA DI Men’s Basketball regional tournament is returning to our city. Hosting it is another opportunity to welcome the NCAA, coaches, players and fans to experience March Madness in one of the country’s leading destinations for sports events.”
“NCAA fans love coming to San Antonio and our city has the perfect setup for all the championship has to offer,” said San Antonio Sports President & CEO Jenny Carnes. “Volleyball is an incredibly popular sport throughout the state of Texas, and one of the best collegiate programs in the nation is just up the road at UT. We look forward to hosting an outstanding event during a time of year when San Antonio is magical for the holidays.”
“Hosting NCAA Championship events here in San Antonio has become part of our DNA at UTSA, “UTSA Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Lisa Campos said. “The San Antonio community really embraces NCAA Championship events and creates a special environment not just within the Alamodome, but throughout the city. We have been involved in the coordination of more than 20 NCAA Championship events since 1997 and we appreciate the NCAA for once again selecting San Antonio as a host site.”
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San Antonio Sports, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to transform our community through the power of sport, is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024. San Antonio Sports bids on and hosts premier sporting events such as NCAA® championships, which have generated a local economic impact of more than $1 billion.
The San Antonio Local Organizing Committee (SALOC), which is a partnership between the City of San Antonio, San Antonio Sports, UTSA and UIW has a strong history of hosting successful NCAA Championships that have generated hundreds of millions of dollars for the San Antonio economy, including four previous Men’s Final Fours (1998, 2004, 2008, 2018), two Women’s Final Fours (2002, 2010), two Women’s Division I Volleyball Championships (2005, 2011) and several regional basketball tournaments.