NCAA Women’s Final Four To Return To Cleveland in 2024

“Today we learned from the NCAA that we have been selected to host the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Final Four. We are so proud to bring the pinnacle of women’s basketball back to Cleveland and to showcase our great city and vibrant downtown to another generation of basketball fans,” said Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, Commissioner of the Mid-American Conference. “The Mid-American Conference has been aggressive in pursuing NCAA championship events. We have a great team in Cleveland and northeast Ohio which includes the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, Quicken Loans Arena, a long track record of successfully hosting NCAA events, and a great and supportive fan base that is passionate about intercollegiate athletics.” Per the press release.

In 2018, we saw two different MAC women’s basketball squads reach the sweet 16. Ball State was a few wins away from receiving an at-large birth as well. Buffalo and Central Michigan each return enough talent that another NCAA run this season is not out of the question. Miami showed an amazing turn around, and also returns one of the best point guards in the nation. Eastern Michigan, while the record doesn’t really reflect it, showed an nearly equally amazing turn around. There are other teams that probably deserved to be mentioned here, like a Toledo squad that made the 2017 tournament.

The point is that MAC women’s basketball has been on fire and the future looks bright. While none of the current players will be around in 2024, a lot of these great coaches hopefully will be. Wouldn’t it be nice if the MAC hosted one of it’s own in Cleveland in 2024?

Obviously the odds of a MAC team being in the Final Four are a long shot. Even one at-large bid between now and then would be nice. However, after the announcement today, the kid in me is going to daydream of an all MAC finals in 2024!