Tampa Officials Eager to Host the Women’s Final Four Again

TAMPA, Fla. — The excitement is building as thousands of basketball fans make their way to Tampa for this week’s Women’s Final Four. The defending national champions, South Carolina (34-3), will face off against Texas (35-3), while UCLA (34-2) will take on UConn (35-3) in the highly anticipated semifinals, set to tip off Friday at Amalie Arena.

This marks the fourth time Tampa has hosted the prestigious event, the first since 2019. Rob Higgins, executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, which is responsible for bringing major sporting events to the area, highlighted the importance of the event for the community: “The NCAA Women’s Final Four has been a phenomenal event for our community.”

Tampa has long been a hub for major sporting events, including five Super Bowls, five Stanley Cup Finals, and a College Football Playoff National Championship. The city is no stranger to hosting significant occasions, and crowning a national champion in women’s basketball is always a highlight.

Reflecting on the city’s past experience hosting the Final Four, Higgins added, “We had the great fortune of hosting our first women’s Final Four in 2008, and we were amazed by the event back then, in terms of the following, as well as the stage that it puts our community on.” He continued, “Every time we’ve hosted since, whether in 2015 or 2019, the buzz has increased exponentially.”

Michael Kelly, athletics director at the University of South Florida (USF), expressed his pride in the event’s return to Tampa, saying, “We’re honored that it’s the fourth time that the Final Four has returned here. The city, particularly the downtown part of Tampa, continues to grow and get better and better, which makes for much better fan experience and student-athlete experience.”

The event also brings substantial economic benefits to the community. In 2019, the Final Four attracted 16,300 hotel room nights. This year, that figure is expected to exceed 23,000, with the semifinals and championship game bringing sellout crowds of over 40,000. The city is bracing for a surge of at least 40,000 visitors, which could result in an economic impact of up to $25 million.

“There’s no doubt that the sport of women’s basketball is on a roll right now,” said Higgins. “It’s experienced unparalleled growth over these recent years. There’s no doubt that once the teams and visitors land here, it will be even more palpable in terms of the rush and the excitement around all the different festivities.”

Beyond the basketball action, the event is creating a buzz with community initiatives. Programs like Read to the Final Four and the Legacy Court beautification project at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park help extend the event’s reach and impact.

Kelly also noted that the development of Tampa’s Riverwalk has played a key role in making the city even more attractive for events like the Final Four. “The Riverwalk connects all kinds of fan interaction places and creates a walkable championship campus. We think it creates an awesome footprint for an event like this,” he said.

Although the Final Four will be hosted through the 2031 season, Tampa is eager to welcome the event back again in the future. Higgins concluded, “It’s an event that’s been near and dear to our heart, and there’s no doubt that we would love to be able to have it back sooner rather than later. At this point, we want to make sure everything goes well, and then, hopefully, the future will take care of itself.”

Women’s Final Four Semifinals at Amalie Arena in Tampa:

• Friday:
  • South Carolina vs. Texas, 7:00 PM
  • UCLA vs. UConn, 9:30 PM

  TV: ESPN

• Sunday:
  • Championship Game at 3:00 PM

  TV: ABC