The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in New Orleans, LA, will become the center of the college basketball universe in April, playing host to the Final Four of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships. The Final Four has evolved into much more than a semifinal clash between the regional champions from the South, East, West and Midwest brackets, becoming a weekend-long smorgasbord of events for fans and families alike — from the Final Four Fan Fest to three days of free concerts at the March Madness Music Festival, a sneak peek into the teams practicing at Reese’s Final Four Friday, youth clinics, a basketball dribble down the streets of San Antonio, and more.
The Final Four is where the elite have already been separated from the rest of the March Madness pack. The single-elimination field featuring 68 teams will have boiled down to four regional champs, each with a shot at walking away with the biggest prize in college basketball. With 11 national titles, UCLA holds the record for the most NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championships. Kentucky is second (eight), followed by North Carolina, Duke and Indiana, each of whom have five. Rounding out the leaderboard are: UConn (four), Kansas (three) and Louisville (three). Since 1985, when the tournament expanded to 64 teams, Duke has won five championships; Connecticut four; Kentucky and North Carolina three; Kansas, Louisville, Florida and Villanova two; UCLA, Indiana and Michigan one. North Carolina has made more Final Four appearances than any other program: 20.
Did you know that Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski is the active leader for overall NCAA championships? Coach K has put together one of the most impressive NCAA Tournament resumes in the history of college basketball. Though he still has a way to go in order to catch the 10 titles of UCLA coaching legend John Wooden, his five championships and 12 Final Four appearances are nothing to sneeze at.
Back to TopEpic events and incredible deals straight to your inbox.