SPOKANE, Wash. - Many sports are still on hold, but the future looks bright. This morning, Spokane was awarded two future basketball championship events by the NCAA. First in 2024, University of Idaho along with the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena will host the Division I Men's Basketball First and Second Rounds. Then in 2025, the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Regionals will also be hosted by University of Idaho and the Spokane Arena.
 
This announcement is especially sweet considering there were more than 3,000 bid submissions from cities and universities across the country, vying to host 86 different NCAA sporting events for the years 2022-2026. "We're always excited to partner with the NCAA and enjoy hosting championship events," says Terry Gawlik, University of Idaho Director of Athletics. "We work as a team with the Spokane Arena and Spokane Sports, and together we've built a strong reputation with the NCAA. We are honored they chose us once again to host such prestigious events."
 
Basketball fans don't have to wait until 2024. University of Idaho is slated to host the 2021 & 2022 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Regionals at the Spokane Arena. Idaho and the Spokane Arena would have hosted the 2020 Division I Men's Basketball Championship First & Second Rounds. That event was cancelled in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Learn more about the events that were awarded by the NCAA here.