News Release: Portland Named Finalist to Host Women’s Final Four

(PORTLAND, OR) — Portland has been announced as a finalist to host the NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four during the 2027–2031 bid cycle, per official NCAA statement this morning. The bid process is being driven collaboratively by Sport Oregon, the Rose Quarter, Travel Portland, the University of Portland, and the City of Portland. If successful, it would be the first time that Portland has hosted the Women’s Final Four.

“We are unbelievably fortunate for our bidding partners, and for a community that is second-to-none in its support of women’s athletics,” said Sport Oregon Director of Sports Tourism Matt Reed. “This is the first step in a long process, but we are genuinely excited to continue rallying support for a Women’s Final Four in Portland.”

This will not be the bidding group’s first foray into a bid of this magnitude, as Portland was also named a finalist for the 2025 & 2026 Women’s Final Fours, back in 2020. Tampa, FL and Phoenix, AZ were ultimately awarded those open years, respectively.

Portland has a deep history with both men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament games, having hosted the men’s first/second rounds as recently as March 2022. Moda Center also hosted one of the most successful women’s basketball west regionals in history in 2019, and was set to host a women’s regional again in 2020 before cancellations due to Covid-19. Portland and Moda Center will host another women’s regional in 2024 and a men’s first/second rounds in 2026. Oregon State University served as the host institution for the 2019 and 2022 events — and will serve again in 2024 and 2026 — while the University of Portland will act as the host school should Portland land a Women’s Final Four.

“University of Portland Athletics is grateful for the possibility of being the host institution for the NCAA Women’s Final Four at Moda Center,” University of Portland Vice President of Athletics Scott Leykam said. “With the success of all the women’s basketball programs here in the state of Oregon, it would be a true honor to host one of the most prestigious championship events in sports. We would like to thank Sport Oregon, the Rose Quarter and Travel Portland for bringing us one step closer to making this a reality, and we are ecstatic about having the opportunity to expand the Portland Pilots Athletics brand.”

With over 11,000 total hotel room nights consumed between the competition itself and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Annual Convention, this early April weekend would also bring significant economic and tourism impact to Portland’s hospitality community.

“The City of Portland is deeply appreciative to the NCAA in being named a finalist for a future Women’s Final Four,” said Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler. “The bidding group has our full support for this opportunity which would bring top-notch sports entertainment and boost our local economy and tourism.”

After the next submission deadline in July, the NCAA will conduct site tours of the finalist cities later this summer and a final presentation will be made to decision-makers in November in Indianapolis. An official decision for all hosts during the 2027–2031 cycle for the Women’s Final Four will be made before the end of November 2022. The other cities announced as finalists were Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Sacramento, CA; San Antonio, TX; and Tampa, FL.