The 2022 NCAA Tournament will reach its conclusion in New Orleans
Baylor cut down the nets in Lucas Oil Stadium on April 5, bringing the 2021 NCAA Tournament, which was held entirely in the state of Indiana due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, to an end but the plan is for March Madness to return to its more familiar format next year. The 2022 Final Four will be in New Orleans with games taking place in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
This will be the sixth time New Orleans hosts the Final Four, tying Louisville for fourth in this distinction, behind only Kansas City (10), Indianapolis and New York City (seven each). The first time New Orleans hosted the Final Four was in 1982 when a freshman guard by the name of Mike Jordan hit the game-winning shot to give North Carolina and legendary head coach Dean Smith his first national championship by beating Georgetown, 63-62. The Crescent City also helped crown the national champion in 1987, 1993, 2003, and most recently in 2012 when John Calipari and Kentucky defeated Kansas 67-59 to cut down the nets.
The NCAA has already announced the dates and locations for the next five Final Fours, a stretch that has the event returning to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in 2026.
Future Final Four Locations: Date, Venue, City
- April 1 & 3, 2023 – NRG Stadium (Houston)
- April 6 & 8, 2024 – State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Ariz.)
- April 5 & 7, 2025 – Alamodome (San Antonio)
- April 4 & 6, 2026 – Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
