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December 07, 2022
s ports
PDX Lands First-Ever NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four
Moda Center
will serve as
epicenter of
2030 event
Portland has been announced
as the official host city for the
2030 Division I NCAA Women’s
Basketball Final Four, per offi-
cial NCAA statement. It will be
Portland’s first time hosting this
world-class event, and the bid
process has been driven collabo-
ratively by Sport Oregon, Travel
Portland, the Rose Quarter/ Port-
land Trail Blazers, and the Univer-
sity of Portland Pilots.
“To say we are excited is a
massive understatement – this is a
huge win for our community and
our bid partners,” said Sport Or-
egon CEO Jim Etzel. “It is a tes-
tament to the culture and passion
of women’s basketball fans in Or-
egon. We are deeply appreciative
of the Women’s Basketball Com-
mittee and the NCAA for choos-
ing Portland, and we can’t wait to
show everyone what we already
Photo Courtesy Sport Oregon
know, that this is the best place in
the world for women’s athletics.”
Portland was a finalist for the
2025 and 2026 Women’s Final
Fours back in 2020, but ultimate-
ly fell short in securing either of
those events. In 2019, Portland
hosted one of the most successful
Women’s Basketball Regionals
in history, and were set to do the
same in 2020 before the cancel-
lation of the NCAA Tournament.
The University of Portland will
act as the host school for the Port-
land Women’s Final Four.
“It is a tremendous honor to
serve as the institutional host on
this successful bid to bring the
NCAA Division I Women’s Bas-
ketball Final Four to Portland,”
University of Portland Vice Pres-
ident for Athletics Scott Leykam
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said. “The University of Portland
is home to women’s athletic pro-
grams that were at the forefront
of the growth of women’s sports
in our great city and state and this
is a great way for us to continue
that legacy.”
The bidding group has worked
for the bulk of this year on mak-
ing their pitch to the NCAA. Rep-
resentatives from the NCAA and
Women’s Basketball Committee
were in Portland in September
for the official site tour, and had
a chance to analyze critical ven-
ues, and meet several stakeholders
in the community. The bidding
group’s final presentation to the
NCAA was held November 16th
in Dallas.
Now, Moda Center and the
Rose Quarter will serve as the
epicenter of women’s basketball
in 2030.
“We are thrilled to have the op-
portunity to hold the NCAA Wom-
en’s Final Four in Portland at the
Rose Quarter in 2030,” said Chris
Oxley, Senior Vice President,
Government Affairs & Strategic
Initiatives, Portland Trail Blazers
and Rose Quarter. “The success
of the women’s regional in 2019
held at Moda Center, last year’s
men’s tournament, and the con-
tinued success of other collegiate
basketball events on our campus
is a testament to the passionate
basketball fans that make up our
community. We’re thrilled to con-
tinue bringing high level women’s
basketball to Portland.
A Women’s Final Four will be
an economic boon for the Port-
land hospitality community, as
the WBCA Coaches Convention
will also make Portland its home
over the same weekend. Between
the WBCA and the Women’s Fi-
nal Four, an estimated 11,000 ho-
tel rooms will be utilized for the
overall event between downtown
and the Lloyd District.
“It is with immense pleasure
and pride that Travel Portland
celebrates the NCAA’s Women’s
Final Four coming to Portland,”
said Jeff Miller, President & CEO
of Travel Portland. “With over
50 years of supporting women’s
athletics, there is not another city
in the country that will embrace
this event and what it stands for
more than Portland. Travel Port-
land - along with our partners -
enthusiastically looks forward to
welcoming the world of women’s
basketball to our inclusive, diverse
and women’s-sports-loving city.”
The Oregon Convention Cen-
ter will host the WBCA Coaches
Convention, along with Tourney
Town, a free public fan festival
for basketball fans. Several oth-
er events will be held around Fi-
nal Four weekend throughout the
city, along with legacy-building
community opportunities in the
years prior. An official Local Or-
ganizing Committee will also be
developed, inclusive of the bid-
ding organizations. Portland was
among seven finalist cities for the
five open years of hosting.
“We’ve put in a lot of work
to get to this day, and this is cer-
tainly a great feeling,” said Etzel.
“But the work we have ahead of
us is even more substantial. Our
bidding partners are aligned, our
community is hungry, and Port-
land is ready to host a Women’s
Final Four.”
Outside of Portland, the other
winning host cities were Colum-
bus, OH (2027); Indianapolis, IN
(2028); San Antonio, TX (2029);
and Dallas, TX (2031).
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