It Never Gets Old

Minneapolis has further strengthened its ties to the National Collegiate Athletic Association® (NCAA) with the announcement this week of our selection as the site of the 2022 Women’s Final Four. The last time this premier women’s championship was held in Minneapolis was 1995. The UConn Huskies, coached by Geno Auriemma, won their first national championship that year. And while many may be looking for history to repeat itself in 2022, let’s not forget that Lindsay Whalen, an All-American and All-Star, turned coach, was not coaching the Gophers’ women’s basketball team then.

With our selection as an upcoming Women’s Final Four site, we will now have a major NCAA event in Minneapolis every year through 2022.

2018 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championships

2019 NCAA Men’s Final Four

2020 NCAA Men’s Wrestling Championships

2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Regional

2022 NCAA Women’s Final Four

None of these successes would have been possible without the leadership of the University of Minnesota Athletics staff. Over the years, the U of M has been the host institution for a plethora of NCAA events. This has built the kind of trust and confidence the NCAA needs to allow an institution and a community to be stewards of key events like the NCAA Woman’s Final Four.

Minneapolis was one of seven cities vying for the honor, under a bidding process spearheaded locally by University of Minnesota, Sports Minneapolis and Target Center. We also congratulate the other cities that were awarded championships: San Antonio (2021), Dallas (2023), and Cleveland (2024).

It is important to highlight that 2022 is the 50th anniversary of the year Title IX was enacted by Congress and signed into law by Richard Nixon. Title IX prohibits gender discrimination in any educational program or activity receiving any type of federal financial aid. We are excited be a part of planning activities to celebrate this milestone in our community.

Meredith A. Cleaver, the NCAA’s Director, Championships and Alliances affirmed the decision to award 2022 to Minneapolis by saying, “We can’t wait to work with team Minneapolis and are excited to have our event in your city! Thanks for all you have done throughout the bid process. We’re going to have so much fun!”

Meredith was a part of the NCAA team we hosted during the WNBA All-Star Game this summer. That was the beginning of demonstrating how much our community embraces women’s sports at all levels.

We are honored to, once again, have another major championship in our community. The nearly 35,000 hospitality industry workers who live in Minneapolis are counting on events like this as they work tirelessly to provide a memorable visitor experience and, most importantly, support their families. Getting good news never gets old.