A logo sign outside of the headquarters of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Credit: Courtesy of TNS
Columbus will host the Women’s Final Four for the second time in 2027, the NCAA announced Monday.
According to the release, Nationwide Arena previously became the site of the women’s semifinal and national championship games in 2018, when both Final Four matchups extended to overtime and top-seeds Notre Dame and Mississippi State played to the buzzer, leaving Fighting Irish guard Arike Ogunbowale to score a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to claim the title.
More than 39,000 fans attended the 2018 Women’s Final Four, and 7.6 million viewers watched the event on ESPN, according to an NCAA release in April 2018.
“Incredible things happen when we come together in the name of sports,” Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith said in a release. “These championship events will have a profound impact on our university and community.”
According to a Columbus Sports Commission release, the 2018 Women’s Final Four “brought in 21.7 million in direct visitor spending,” and “80% of visitors were from outside of Ohio.”
“We are grateful to be a hub for women’s sports through our partnership with the NCAA,” CEO and president of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission Linda Logan said in a release. “We raised the bar globally with our work on the 2018 Women’s Final Four and embrace the challenge to elevate the event even higher in 2027.”
The Ohio State women’s basketball team, which has started this season 4-0 and rose to No. 4 following a season-opening win over then-No. 5 Tennessee, advanced to the Sweet 16 last season. It marked the first time the Buckeyes reached the Sweet 16 since 2017.
