NCAA moves 2021 men’s basketball tournament to one location

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The NCAA has moved the 2021 men’s basketball tournament to a “single geographic area” as a way to help keep athletes and staff safe.

The tournament was set to have 13 preliminary round sites, including Raleigh, but the NCAA said having the games in one location is the most effective way to “conduct a safe and healthy March Madness for all participants for the 2021 championship.”

“My committee colleagues and I did not come lightly to the difficult decision to relocate the preliminary rounds of the 2021 tournament, as we understand the disappointment 13 communities will feel to miss out on being part of March Madness next year,” said Mitch Barnhart, chair of the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee and University of Kentucky athletics director.

The NCAA staff is in talks with the State of Indiana and the city of Indianapolis to potentially host the 68-team tournament around the metropolitan area during the coordinated dates in March and April.

Indianapolis was already slated to host the Men’s Final Four from April 3-5, 2021.“We have learned so much from monitoring other successful sporting events in the last several months, and it became clear it’s not feasible to manage this complex championship in so many different states with the challenges presented by the pandemic,” said Dan Gavitt, NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball. “However, we are developing a solid plan to present a safe, responsible and fantastic March Madness tournament unlike any other we’ve experienced.”

CBS Sports and Turner Sports will continue to distribute all 67 games of the tournament across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV and their digital platforms.

FORMER 2021 PREDETERMINED SITES