NCAA Basketball: Tournament location & metrics changes for 2026 will benefit all parties

The NCAA has recently announced that a single site plan for the NCAA Division I, II, III, and NIT tournaments beginning in 2026, with Indianapolis set to host all of the aforementioned tournaments. Additionally, it was announced that the Tournament Selection Committee will have more resources to work with when choosing the field of 68, as both the Torvik and Wins Against Bubble metrics will be added to each team's resume.

The Final Four will be played in Lucas Oil Stadium for the fourth time, as the stadium also hosted the Final Four in 2010, 2015, and 2021. The Division II and III Tournaments will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers, and the NIT Championship will be held at Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse, which hosted the tournament for the first time this year.

While very subtle, these changes will benefit all parties involved, and will further build the excitement and interest of the event in the host city, and will also give smaller programs - especially divisions II and II - a bigger spotlight as they look to win their respective championships in the spring.

This will be the second time that all three NCAA men's tournaments will be held in the same location, with the other instance being in 2013 when Atlanta hosted all three tournaments. In 2020, there were plans to again have both the Division II and III tournaments played in Atlanta, the same location for the Division I Final Four, but ultimately that never came to fruition due to COVID-19. Since 2019, the Division II and III tournaments have been held in Evansville and Fort Wayne, Indiana respectively, and a move to Indianapolis while playing in an NBA Arena will mark a significant upgrade for both divisions' postseason tournaments.

Though the NIT will not be played in Madison Square Garden, the move to Hinkle Fieldhouse still looks to be beneficial for the tournament, as this season's NIT at Hinkle Fieldhouse saw sold out crowds and a buzzing environment throughout their final four and championship. Playing in another historical arena in Hinkle Fieldhouse will help retain some prestige and stability of the NIT in the ever-changing college basketball landscape.

The introduction of the two new metrics to team resumes will also benefit both the selection committee and certain bubble teams. The selection committee faced controversy this season with some of their choices for the last teams in and first teams out, with Seton Hall and Indiana State (who ultimately faced one another in the NIT Championship) both being widely regarded as Selection Sunday snubs. However, with the addition of the Torvik and Wins Against Bubble metrics, it will be easier for the selection committee to avoid making similar mistakes in future tournaments.

While playing all three NCAA men's tournaments isn't an annual tradition yet, making this move for 2026 will allow the NCAA to experiment with the concept and if it turns out to be a huge success, they could look to make it happen more often in the future. Regardless, everyone will benefit from this move in the 2026 postseason, and there will be lots to look forward to when the time comes.