Final Four to become home games for Notre Dame in 2018

[bags27]

a 2.5 hour drive from South Bend. Of course, first they have to get in!

The National Collegiate Athletic Association and the City of Indianapolis announced today that they had reached an agreement “to extend the historic partnership” they forged when the NCAA agreed to move to Indianapolis almost 20 years ago. The new agreement was announced at a joint press conference at Bankers Life Field House in Indianapolis.

The key element of the agreement, according to NCAA President Mark Emmert, is that the NCAA will establish Indianapolis as the permanent site of the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, starting as soon as 2018. “We think this is a win-win for everyone involved,” Emmert said. “Our hope is that Indianapolis will be to women’s basketball what Omaha has become for college baseball. We’ll also save money because our staff won’t have to travel for the event and, equally important, Indianapolis is very enthusiastic about the Women’s Final Four.”

 

[Tenspro2002]

Holy s***, that's serious.

Your title is misleadingly narrow in scope.

The Final Four will be a home game for Notre Dame every single year starting in 2018.

 

[Kaizen]

I think it should be in Hartford, CT

 

[ThisJustIn]

Ummm... April Fools was so. long. ago.

“NCAA Extends Indianapolis Partnership “

 

[bags27]

Holy s***, that's serious.
Your title is misleadingly narrow in scope. The Final Four will be a home game for Notre Dame every single year starting in 2018.

sorry, meant that, of course. "To become" I figured meant going forward. Yeah, pretty shocking, esp. if ND gets a local regional as well.

 

[Tenspro2002]

sorry, meant that, of course. "To become" I figured meant going forward. Yeah, pretty shocking, esp. if ND gets a local regional as well.

Yes, on a second reading, I see that is what you meant. When I first read the title, I thought "oh, OK, back to Indy for 2018, that's a bit lame, but whatever".

The implications here are much, much broader than a single year.

This is nothing less than the NCAA stepping in, playing favorites, and putting a thumb on the scale of the premier rivalry in WCBB at the present, to favor the P5 and to screw UConn. This has Mark Emmert written all over it.

 

[bags27]

Ummm... April Fools was so. long. ago.

“NCAA Extends Indianapolis Partnership “

is it really an April Fools? Did I get so fooled? That would be so incredibly funny!

 

[Tenspro2002]

Bah, I should have read the actual post. "We’ll also save money because our staff won’t have to travel for the event" is a giveaway.

Still, I don't think anybody would have put it past Mark Emmert to do this.

 

[Magy Cannon]

I do NOT like this. Women are being discriminated against. Why don't they save money putting the men's tournament there?

 

[ABachelor6CR]

From NCAA site:

Cities and hosts tabbed for the future Women’s Final Fours are:
• 2017 – American Airlines Center, Dallas (Big 12 Conference, host)
• 2018 – Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State, host)
• 2019 – Amalie Arena, Tampa, Fla. (South Florida, host)
• 2020 – Smoothie King Center, New Orleans (New Orleans, Tulane and Sun Belt Conference, hosts)

 

[Carnac]

is it really an April Fools? Did I get so fooled? That would be so incredibly funny!

a 2.5 hour drive from South Bend. Of course, first they have to get in!

The National Collegiate Athletic Association and the City of Indianapolis announced today that they had reached an agreement “to extend the historic partnership” they forged when the NCAA agreed to move to Indianapolis almost 20 years ago. The new agreement was announced at a joint press conference at Bankers Life Field House in Indianapolis.

The key element of the agreement, according to NCAA President Mark Emmert, is that the NCAA will establish Indianapolis as the permanent site of the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, starting as soon as 2018. “We think this is a win-win for everyone involved,” Emmert said. “Our hope is that Indianapolis will be to women’s basketball what Omaha has become for college baseball. We’ll also save money because our staff won’t have to travel for the event and, equally important, Indianapolis is very enthusiastic about the Women’s Final Four.”

This smells to high heaven. $omebody brokered a sweet deal for Notre Dame. This is the same for UConn if they decided to make the XL center the permanent site. A Notre Dame grad no doubt. They could have made the permanent site in Oklahoma City, which is almost the geographical center of the country.

The actual center is Lebanon, Kansas. OKC is 356 miles south of Lebanon. That would be fair in terms of travel to most programs. Why don't they just hold the final four on ND's campus arena and be done with it? What's the difference?

 

[blaqtech]

Would have been awesome for Moriah to win it all here in Dallas.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Honestly folks - read. the. article. April Fools...

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

The long reach of BeK's annual traditional report from the Final 4. I thought it was a gem, as was his annual mascot bracket.

OTH - "The Smoothie King Center"???

 

[bags27]

My bad, everyone. Saw the date, but it didn't register. Like the panic that set in when the NY Times announced within its own crossword puzzle that it was ending publication of the puzzle. Folks were opening high windows in Manhattan before being reminded it was April Fools!

 

[Biff]

Honestly folks - read. the. article. April Fools...

What hath Helen wrought....

 

[HoopsFan21]

Can't believe any one fell for this given that sites have already been chosen for future final fours. Though we're getting more repeat venues now it seems.

 

[meyers7]

Can't believe any one fell for this given that sites have already been chosen for future final fours. Though we're getting more repeat venues now it seems.

Can't believe people fell for it on April 6th.

 

[ThisJustIn]

What hath Helen wrought....

Oh, if only I HAD wrought it... I'm not that good a wroughter.

 

[Plebe]

This spoof story was almost too believable to be a spoof.

I remember that several years ago the NCAA seriously considered making Omaha the permanent site of the D-I women's volleyball semifinals and finals. Omaha was the site in 2006 and 2008, and attendance was strong because Nebraska was playing both times (Lincoln is only 60 miles from Omaha). Nebraska won it all in 2006, and in the 2008 semifinals nearly beat Penn State, which until then had not lost a single set the entire year. (Nebraska would win it all again in 2015 -- once again in Omaha.)

Other coaches were very vocal in their opposition to this proposal, mainly based on the competitive advantage it would confer to Nebraska. Ultimately the proposal was defeated.

 

[UcMiami]

Can't believe any one fell for this given that sites have already been chosen for future final fours. Though we're getting more repeat venues now it seems.

That is a stated goal for the women's team - they chose I think 6 or 7 sites that will rotate as regional and FF locations - trying to build local momentum for tournament games.