Connect Sports will host an NCAA Championships Symposium and Bid Cycle event in Minneapolis, to help announce the next round of NCAA championship sites through 2030.

The event begins Aug. 22, which is when the NCAA’s bid cycle portal presentation will occur. The event will showcase championship sites selected for the 2026-2027 school year through 2029-2030. All told, 450 championship sites across multiple NCAA divisions will be selected.

The session will be the most in-depth presentation to date on the upcoming championship bid cycle. NCAA staff will also be on hand for six separate breakouts after the general session.

"Not every destination has the infrastructure to host a Final Four or Frozen Four, but most can certainly host another type of championship,” says Connect Senior Vice President Patrick Higgins. “We’re excited to work with the NCAA and our DMO partners around the country to demonstrate exactly what it takes to host an NCAA Championship."

Higgins predicts the relationship with Connect Sports will provide key information and answer questions to indtustry veterans and newcomers alike.

Two important highlights of the August event:

• This program is open to all Connect Marketplace DMO attendees that would like to learn more.
• Registered Connect Sports attendees are encouraged to bring key members of their local host community (athletic directors, venue operation personnel, etc.) to join them for this programmed maximize their opportunities to network with the NCAA team in their booth on the trade show floor. Guest registration options are available for $250 per person. This includes access to all event programming, including receptions, etc. 

“This August at Connect Sports, many DMOs of all sizes are going to learn how best to host an NCAA championship using their tested processes, tools and resources,” says Higgins.

NCAA events have the potential to boost economic impact but also add prestige through media exposure. Each championship allows destinations to highlight their strengths in front of a national viewing audience.

“Working with Connect Sports will allow us to increase our reach in the sports travel and tourism market and create partnerships that will help us deliver on our mission to create meaningful student-athlete experiences,” says Ryan Tressel, director of championships and alliances for the NCAA. “We’re doing this as an additional measure to help potential host cities who may want to bring a championship to their area in the near future.”

For more information, contact Patrick Higgins at patrick@connectsports.com.

ABOUT CONNECT

Connect is a leader in the meetings, events, travel and tourism industry. Specializing in destination marketing, the company produces digital programs, online and mobile solutions, meetings business and travel magazines, trade shows and consumer events, travel guides for newspapers and leisure magazines and destination information, which is distributed through broadcast and custom programs. Connect, formerly known as Collinson Media & Events, introduced the popular Marketplace format to the meetings industry and now produces national shows for meeting planners in the Corporate, Expo, Sports, Diversity, Association and Faith sectors as well as other state- and region-specific meetings- and hospitality-focused events. More information about the company's brands and services is available at connectmeetings.com.

ABOUT THE NCAA

The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year.

Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its student-athletes.