Exciting games in front of sellout crowds, hundreds of knowledgeable volunteers, well-attended community events and record media coverage highlighted the 2018 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Columbus. Some of the best games in NCAA Basketball history were played at Nationwide Arena on March 30 and April 1, which saw Notre Dame claim the title of National Champion in thrilling fashion.

Columbus proved itself as a city that thrives at hosting and supporting marquee sporting events. The community showed its passion for the event by not only attending the games and contributing to a sellout crowd, but having over 900 people register to volunteer and showcase the pride they have for Columbus. 

The community came out in droves to attend ancillary events, including the NCAA Bounce in the Arena District, the Thursday Pick and Roll in the Short North Arts District and Tourney Town presented by Capital One. Most importantly, the Women’s Final Four will leave a lasting legacy for the children who attended events like Read to the Final Four, which had over 2,000 children participating in the program and read approximately 16 million words!

The media exposure for the games were also particularly impressive. Both local and national media contributed to a record amount of broadcast and digital viewership. Significantly, Columbus averaged the highest local rating on record in the market for a women’s basketball tournament game. The social media reach spoke for itself – the Women’s Final Four championship game was the No. 1 sporting event on social media.

With all that impressive data there is only one thing left to say—Thank You, Columbus! You were the perfect host city.

(For more events coming to Columbus, click here.)