INDIANAPOLIS TO HOST 2026 NCAA DIVISIONS I, II, AND III MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT (NIT) IN SAME WEEKEND

Back to All News

INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis will host the 2026 NCAA Divisions II and III men’s basketball championship games, as well as the semifinals and finals of the Men’s National Invitational Tournament. The selection was announced by the NCAA earlier this morning. All five of these newly awarded games are scheduled the same weekend as the Men’s Final Four, which was previously awarded to the city.

The Final Four will take place April 4 and 6, 2026 at Lucas Oil Stadium, an announcement that was first made in 2018. It will mark the ninth time that Indianapolis will serve as host of college basketball’s premier event. Indiana Sports Corp will manage the Indiana Host Committee in partnership with NCAA Host Institutions - Horizon League and IU Indy.

This announcement means three additional champions will be crowned in the Circle City that weekend. The NIT will play its semifinals Thursday night, April 2 at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse, with the title game scheduled for Sunday, April 5 at a time and venue to be announced.

Sunday’s schedule will also include the Divisions II and III championship games, which will be played downtown at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. This is the second time that the NCAA will conduct its three championships on one weekend in the same city.

Indianapolis has previously hosted the NIT semifinals and finals once (2024) and has not hosted the Divisions II or III men’s basketball championship games.

More information surrounding all of these games will be released at a later date.

###

Back to All News