SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento has been chosen by the NCAA to host multiple college sporting events in the coming years, including the Men's and Women's College Cup for soccer for the very first time in the new Railyards stadium.
Sacramento will host the first and second rounds of men's basketball March Madness tournament in 2023 at the Golden 1 Center in Downtown Sacramento. Sacramento was slated to host the tournament in 2020 before the NCAA canceled the event because of the coronavirus.
The NCAA Men's College Cup semifinals and finals will be played at the stadium in 2024 and the women's will be in 2025.
In a press release, Sacramento Republic FC expressed excitement to host the men's and women's soccer national championship tournaments. The Railyards Stadium will be the new home of Sacramento Republic FC in 2023, when the team joins Major League Soccer.
"This has always been about building a better Sacramento through the beautiful game," Sacramento Republic FC President and COO Ben Gumpert said in the press release. "Today’s announcement is just the beginning of our vision to create an active and open stadium for the entire region to enjoy.”
Sacramento was not only flagged for hosting basketball and the soccer tournaments, but will also host track and field and cross country events in the coming years.
"We are thrilled that the NCAA continues to see Sacramento as an ideal location for so many of its important events,” Mike Testa, Visit Sacramento President and CEO, said.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg added that the Railyards Stadium is already showing great returns for Sacramento and showing the community investment in soccer in the city.
“Hosting the College Cup will showcase our wonderful city to new audiences and create new economic activity," Steinberg said in a press release.
People can sign up for updates and join the waitlist for College Cup tickets here.
The full calendar of college events:
- 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball First and Second Rounds
- 2023 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Preliminary
- 2024 NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships
- 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship
- 2025 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship
- 2026 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Preliminary
- 2026 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Regional
You can check out all of the host cities for NCAA tournaments through 2026 on the NCAA website.
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