Fort Wayne will host the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Final Four for the foreseeable future.
The city, Manchester University and the NCAA brokered an agreement in 2017 that brought NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four events to Fort Wayne beginning in 2019 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. This was supposed to continue earlier in the year, but was called off due to the coronavirus pandemic.
That agreement was set to end in 2022, but on Thursday it was extended all the way to 2026.
Since the Division III Final Four events feature schools from all across the country, this extension creates a tourism opportunity for Fort Wayne. Early economic projections say the tournament could generate $2.6 million in revenue for the city between 2023-2026.
