In March and April of 2019 the eyes of the nation’s sports fans will be on Minneapolis as it hosts the NCAA Men’s Final Four Tournament. The NCAA recently made the official selection announcement that the Minnesota Stadium, currently under construction in downtown, will host the tournament.
“We are thrilled to bring the NCAA Men’s Final Four back to Minnesota,” said David Mortenson, president of Mortenson Construction and bid committee co-chair
The stadium is currently under construction, but will open in July of 2016, in plenty of time for the tournament. Although the stadium would typically seat 65,400, it will be expanded to offer more than 72,000 seats for the Final Four.
“The NCAA Men’s Final Four is one of the nation’s most-watched collegiate tournaments, and all eyes will be on Minnesota in 2019,” said Mary Brainerd, president and chief executive officer of HealthPartners, Inc., and bid committee co-chair. “Our commitment as a community to delivering an exceptional experience for players, families and fans who attend the Final Four was a focus for the presentation. We are confident that our vibrant downtown, exceptional new stadium and welcoming spirit of the people of Minnesota will make for an outstanding event, and the NCAA agreed.”
This isn’t the first time Minnesota has hosted the final four. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (which the Minnesota Stadium is replacing) hosted the tournament in 2001 and 1992.
Based on estimates from other host cities, the committee in charge of the bid estimates that the tournament will have economic impact on the region of between $70 and $200 million.
