For more information, contact:
Chuck Yahng, Billiken Media Relations, (314) 977-2524
Donna Andrews, St. Louis CVC, Director of Public Relations, (314) 724-3479

 

SLU TO HOST REGIONAL SITE FOR 2012 NCAA
MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

 

ST. LOUIS – The NCAA has named Saint Louis University as the host institution and the Edward Jones Dome as the site for a 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Regional. The three games will be played at the Edward Jones Dome Friday, March 23, and Sunday, March 25, 2012. The announcement marks the 15th occasion that the city of St. Louis has held either a men’s or women’s NCAA basketball tournament, including five Final Fours.

“The selection of Saint Louis University and the Edward Jones Dome as tournament hosts speaks to the confidence the NCAA has in the city to host first-class events,” Saint Louis University director of athletics Chris May said. “Saint Louis University recognizes the strong tradition of successful events hosted locally by the Missouri Valley Conference, the St. Louis Sports Commission and the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, and SLU is pleased to lead this bid to showcase the city of St. Louis as one of the top sports cities in America. Saint Louis University is proud to partner with all members of the local community and welcomes this opportunity to conduct a first-class NCAA Tournament event in 2012.”

“St. Louis stands out as a host region for a number of reasons, including our overall hospitality package,” CVC president Kathleen “Kitty” Ratcliffe said. “In addition to the nearly 8,000 hotel rooms within walking distance of the 67,000-seat Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis’ easily accessible public transportation system and abundance of entertainment and dining options make it an ideal location for NCAA basketball events. The cooperation of St. Louis City and St. Louis County officials helped create an attractive offer that made it easy for the NCAA to select our destination for the 2012 men’s basketball regional.”

In a partnership with the Missouri Valley Conference, Saint Louis University and the MVC has agreed to alternate as the host institution for NCAA tournaments held in St. Louis. In this bid cycle, the University will serve as the host.

THE HISTORY OF NCAA BASKETBALL IN ST. LOUIS

1973 NCAA Men’s Final Four – UCLA downs Memphis to claim a ninth national title
1978 NCAA Men’s Final Four – Kentucky wins a shootout over Duke in the title game
1982 NCAA Men’s Regional – Houston reaches the first of three straight Final Fours
1984 NCAA Men’s Regional – Houston advances to title game before falling to Georgetown
1993 NCAA Men’s Regional – Kansas tops Indiana for 10th Final Four appearance
1998 NCAA Men’s Regional – Stanford rallies to reach Final Four for the second time in program history
1999 NCAA Men’s Regional – Michigan State begins string of Final Four berths
2001 NCAA Women’s Final Four – SMS makes memorable run; St. Louis native leads Notre Dame to title
2002 NCAA Men’s 1st/2nd Rounds – Kansas and Kentucky highlight field
2004 NCAA Men’s Regional – Georgia Tech eventually reaches first title game
2005 NCAA Men’s Final Four – North Carolina defeats Illinois in front of partisan Illini crowd
2007 NCAA Men’s Regional – Florida goes on to win second consecutive crown
2009 NCAA Women’s Final Four – Connecticut closes out third undefeated season
2010 NCAA Men’s Regional
2012 NCAA Men’s Regional

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