PHILADELPHIA, PA- Two SMG-managed facilities, the Louisiana Superdome (New Orleans, LA) and Reliant Stadium (Houston, TX) have been selected by the NCAA to host upcoming Men’s Basketball Final Fours. The Superdome will host the 2012 Men’s Final Four and Reliant Stadium will host the 2016 Finals.
The 2012 Final Four will mark the fifth time New Orleans has hosted NCAA Basketball’s premiere event.  Along with the Final Four, the NCAA also awarded the City a set of first and second round games in 2010, and a Men’s Regional in 2011.
The Men’s Final Four now becomes part of what will be a very busy sports year for the City of New Orleans. In 2012, the Superdome will host the Sugar Bowl and the BCS Championship Game in January, as well as the Final Four in April. According to the Greater New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, these three events will bring in more than $500 million to the city. The Superdome will also play host to the 2013 Women’s Final Four, marking the second time the building has hosted the Men’s and Women’s events in back-to-back years.
“SMG has worked closely, and worked very well with the NCAA for many years, assisting them with some of their largest events, such as the Sugar Bowl and the Final Four,” said Doug Thornton, Senior Vice President, Operations. “And with the number of first-class facilities nationwide growing, we at SMG are honored to play host to the Men’s Final Four three times in six years. Being offered these events speaks to the hard work and dedication of the cities of New Orleans and Houston, as well as the SMG staffs at the Superdome and Reliant Stadium.”
Reliant Stadium will host the 2011 and 2010 Men’s South Regional Finals. Reliant Stadium also hosted the South Regionals in 2008. By receiving the 2016 Final Four, Houston will host the prestigious event twice in six years, something only two other cities can claim.
Mike Slive, chairman of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee, told AP, “We saw an example of what Houston has to offer during the 2008 South Regional and have every reason to think that their future events will be special.”
The 2011 Men’s Final Four will also mark the 40th anniversary of the first, and only Men’s Final Four to be held in Houston.