Emmert: NCAA Holding Men's, Women's Final Fours in Same City Would Be a 'Great Idea'

NCAA President Mark Emmert told reporters Wednesday it would be a "great idea" to hold the championship games for Division I men's and women's basketball in the same city, although the potential change wouldn't come anytime soon.

"First of all, it’s up to the oversight committees and then the D-I Council if they really do that," Emmert said. "They made a joint decision, both men’s and women’s committees together, to not do anything between now and (2027) because of the commitments that have already been made to venues that are out there.

"It's a great idea conceptually; it’s a lot more complicated to do in reality."

The discussion comes after an August report stated the NCAA prioritized men's basketball "over everything else" to the detriment of women's sports, per The Athletic. One of the report's suggestions to improve the situation was to hold both men's and women's basketball Final Fours in the same city.

Another suggestion was to use the term "March Madness" for both men's and women's tournaments, which the NCAA announced it would do in September.

The sites for both events are already set through 2026.

The men's Final Four will be held in New Orleans at the end of the 2021-22 season, followed by trips to Houston, Phoenix, San Antonio and Indianapolis. The women's Final Four will be at Minneapolis this season before going to Dallas; Cleveland; Tampa, Florida; and Phoenix.

Having both events in a single city could improve the marketing for both events, although it could create logistical problems with more venues and hotel rooms needed for everyone involved.

Emmert still believes it is worth an attempt at some point.

"I certainly hope it’s worth a try as an experiment, just to try it once and see if we can pull it off," he said Wednesday.