Connect Sports will host an NCAA Championships Symposium and Bid Cycle event in Louisville, Kentucky, to help announce the next round of NCAA championship sites through 2026. The event begins Aug. 26, which is when the NCAA’s bid cycle portal will officially open.
The event will showcase championship sites selected for the 2022-2023 school year through 2025-2026. All told, 450 championship sites across multiple NCAA divisions will be selected.
“Not every destination can host a Final Four or Frozen Four, but they might be able to host another type of NCAA championship,” says Patrick Higgins, SDL, Connect’s vice president of events. “We’re excited to work with the NCAA and our DMO partners around the country to demonstrate exactly how to host an NCAA championship.”
Higgins predicts the relationship with Connect Sports will provide key information and answer questions on how to host an NCAA championship event. “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 Vice President of Meetings and Events Patrick Higgins at phiggins@connectmeetings.com.
