Duquesne, PPG Paints Arena to Host 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Games

Pittsburgh will once again host first and second rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 2024, the NCAA announced on Wednesday, with Duquesne University again hosting the tournament sub-regional at PPG Paints Arena.

The arena previously hosted games in the 2012, 2015 and 2018 tournaments and is scheduled to do so again in 2022. Duquesne hosted the event at the Civic Arena in 1997 and 2002.

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“Duquesne Athletics is proud and honored to once again serve as a host for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship,” Duquesne athletic director Dave Harper said in a press release. “This would not be possible without the strong partnership between Visit and SportsPITTSBURGH and PPG Paints Arena.  We are truly blessed to work with all the entities involved.”

In 2012, Syracuse and Ohio State emerged as winners in the Pittsburgh subregional that also featured nearby West Virginia and Syracuse. The 2015 games saw Notre Dame advance and No. 1 seed Villanova upset by No. 8 NC State in the second round. In 2018, it was Villanova, along Duke, who left PPG Paints Arena as winners.

The 1997 tournament at the Civic Arena is perhaps Pittsburgh’s most famous NCAA Tournament moment, when No. 15 seed Coppin State beat No. 2 South Carolina, only the third time a No. 2 seed had won since the tournament was expanded to 64 teams.

PPG Paints Arena is also scheduled to host the 2021 NCAA men’s ice hockey tournament for the second time and also hosted the 2019 NCAA women’s volleyball championship and 2019 NCAA wrestling championships.

Duquesne will also host the 2023-26 NCAA women’s bowling championships at AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes. The Dukes’ new basketball venue, UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, will host the 2022 NCAA Division III volleyball championship with St. Vincent College as the host school and then and the 2025 and 2026 NCAA Division II women’s basketball championships through Clarion University.

“Hosting multiple bowling regionals will provide another chance to showcase the Pittsburgh region,” Harper said. “The opportunity to welcome the Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship and Division II Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship events to our UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse will enable the University to showcase this new facility on a national level. We are extremely proud to host multiple championships for the NCAA.”

Pitt will host a 2023 NCAA women’s gymnastics regional at Petersen Events Center.

“We’re honored to be selected as a regional site for the 2023 national collegiate women’s gymnastics championships,” said a statement from Pitt Gymnastics coach Samantha Snider. “I’m excited to showcase our city, our campus and our extraordinary fans. This marks a special moment for our school to put a spotlight on our sport.”

The 2023 NCAA Division II volleyball championship will also be hosted by Clarion and played at UPMC Events Center on Robert Morris’ campus in Moon.