COLUMBUS, Ohio – City officials are planning a welcoming outside Nationwide Arena Wednesday morning for a nine-member delegation from the NCAA looking at Nationwide Arena as a possible site of a future women’s basketball Final Four.
The visit began Tuesday with a flash-mob dance in a hotel lobby and a walk-through of Nationwide Arena.
Six NCAA staff members, two members of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and a representative from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association will be in town for a little over 24 hours to meet with the local organizing committee team and tour Nationwide Arena, the Greater Columbus Convention Center and downtown hotels as part of the city’s bid to host one NCAA Women’s Final Four between 2017 and 2020, Bruce Wimbish of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission says.
Columbus was named a finalist along with Dallas, Houston, Nashville, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Tampa back in January.
The national semifinals and championship game of the NCAA Division I women’s basketball championship are one of the nation’s marquee collegiate championship events and Columbus officials say hosting one could pump $15-$20 million into the local economy, thanks to the spending of more than 40,000 fans.
The city and Ohio State have hosted first- and second-round games of the NCAA Women’s Division I tournament four times since 2004, but never the Final Four.
A final decision is expected by late November.