The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- January 4, 1999

Men's basketball committee selects preliminary-round sites for 2002, 2003

The Division I Men's Basketball Committee developed recommendations for first, second and regional rounds of the 2002 and 2003 men's basketball championships during its meeting December 15-17 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet will consider the recommendations when it meets in February.

The recommended sites and hosts are as follows:

2002 championship

East region: First and second rounds, March 15 and 17 -- Civic Arena, Pittsburgh (Duquesne University, host); MCI Center, Washington, D.C. (Georgetown University, host). Regional, March 22 and 24 -- Carrier Dome, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York.

South region: First and second rounds, March 14 and 16 -- Bi-Lo Center, Greenville, South Carolina (Southern Conference and Furman University, cohosts); TWA Dome, St. Louis, Missouri (Missouri Valley Conference, host). Regional, March 21 and 23 -- Rupp Arena, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.

Midwest region: First and second rounds, March 15 and 17 -- United Center, Chicago (Big Ten Conference, host); Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Missouri (Big 12 Conference, host). Regional, March 22 and 24 -- Kohl Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.

West region: First and second rounds, March 14 and 16 -- University Arena, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico; ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California [University of the Pacific (California), host]. Regional, March 21 and 23 -- San Jose Arena, San Jose, California (Santa Clara University, host).

The 2002 Final Four will be conducted at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

2003 championship

East region: First and second rounds, March 21 and 23 -- FleetCenter, Boston (Boston College, host); Ice Palace Arena, Tampa, Florida (University of South Florida, host). Regional, March 28 and 30 -- Pepsi Arena, Albany, New York (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and Siena College, cohosts).

South region: First and second rounds, March 21 and 23 -- Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, Birmingham, Alabama; Nashville Arena, Nashville, Tennessee (Vanderbilt University, host). Regional, March 28 and 30 -- Alamodome, San Antonio (University of Texas at San Antonio, host).

Midwest region: First and second rounds, March 20 and 22 -- Reunion Arena, Dallas (Big 12 Conference, host); RCA Dome, Indianapolis (Midwestern Collegiate Conference and Butler University, cohosts). Regional, March 27 and 29 -- Metrodome, Minneapolis (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, host) March 27 and 29.

The 2003 Final Four will be played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.

In addition to the site recommendations, the committee established a policy that, beginning with the 2002 championship, hosts will be required to cover all corporate signs visible from the arena playing floor. A similar policy has been in place for Final Four sites for several years.

As a result of the new policy, the Louisiana Superdome, which indicated that it could not comply with the policy for a regional in 2002, will replace Rupp Arena as a first/second-round site in the South region in 2001. That session will serve as the traditional "rehearsal" for the 2003 Final Four in the Superdome. Rupp Arena will host the South regional in 2002.