Indianapolis will host all three men’s finals, along with the NIT, in 2026, marking a significant milestone for the NCAA. The men’s basketball committee has approved the inclusion of the Torvik and Wins Against Bubble rankings as key metrics for evaluating teams heading into next year’s tournament.
The Indiana capital, previously selected in 2018 to host the men’s Division I Final Four for the ninth time, will welcome fans from April 4-6, 2026, at the iconic Lucas Oil Stadium. Additionally, finals for Divisions II and III will take place on the Sunday before the Division I championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, while the site for the NIT championship remains to be announced. The NIT semifinals are scheduled for April 2, 2026, at Butler’s renowned Hinkle Fieldhouse.
This event will be the second occurrence of a single city hosting all three men’s championships, the first being Atlanta in 2013. Notably, Indianapolis and Dallas have previously hosted all three women’s championships in 2016 and 2023, respectively, showcasing the city’s growing reputation as a basketball hub.
Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball, expressed that 2026 will be a grand celebration of basketball in Indiana. He highlighted the impressive attendance of nearly 8,000 at the DII and DIII championships in Atlanta back in 2013, alongside sellout crowds for the NIT semifinals and finals at Hinkle last spring.
“It will be an incredible opportunity for student-athletes at the participating schools,” Gavitt stated in a press release, “and a perfect showcase for the passionate college basketball fans in Indiana.”
In the evaluation of the 68 tournament teams — which will include 31 automatic qualifiers and 37 at-large selections — Gavitt noted that committee members are increasingly relying on the Torvik and WAB rankings, along with other performance metrics like KenPom, BPI, and NET.
“Incorporating these metrics into the team sheet guarantees that all 12 committee members have easy access to this valuable data,” Gavitt explained.
The committee also appointed Keith Gill, commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference, as vice chair for the 2024-25 season during its summer meeting, with plans for him to take on the chair role the following season.
