INDIANAPOLIS---Seven cities with past Women’s Final Four hosting experience are among the 12 that have submitted bids to the NCAA to serve as hosts for the 2012-16 Women’s Final Fours. Finalists will be determined in August and five cities will be awarded the event in November.

The NCAA received bids from past host cities, including Cleveland (2007), Indianapolis (2005), Kansas City (1998), New Orleans (1991, 2004), Philadelphia (2000), San Antonio (2002) and Tampa (2008).  Cities submitting bid information to host the Women’s Final Four for the first time include Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Houston and Nashville.

“We are very pleased with the number and quality of bids that we received,” said Judy Southard, senior associate director of athletics at Louisiana State University and chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. “As we continue to grow our game it’s exciting to see that seven cities that have hosted in the past have a strong interest in bringing this extraordinary event back to their city, and we are equally pleased for the future of our event to have five new cities which have submitted bids to become part of this impressive family of host cities.”

After submitting a declaration of intent to bid last November, representatives of each city attended a bid orientation session in January, before meeting with the NCAA staff for individual planning and progress updates at the Women’s Final Four in April. Over the next several weeks, NCAA staff will compile information such as hotel community information, local organizing committee agreements and competition venue agreements for review by members of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee.

After finalists are determined in August, site visits to each finalist city will be conducted in September and October.  Finalist cities will make an in-person presentation to the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee in November and the 2012-16 Women’s Final Four cities will be awarded, pending approval by the Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet.

Cities that submitted bids for the 2012-16 Women’s Final Fours include:

-30-