Superdome will host 2012 Final Four

• By MARY FOSTER
• AP sportswriter
• Published: Nov 20, 2008 - UPDATED: 7:40 a.m.

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NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana Superdome will host its fifth men’s basketball Final Four tournament in 2012, the NCAA announced Wednesday.

New Orleans was one of five cities selected as sites for the event from 2012 through 2016.

The city’s rebuilding effort since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005 and the renovation of the Superdome that followed the storm impressed the committee that selected the sites, said Southeastern Conference Commissioner and NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee Chairman Mike Slive.

“There are significant improvements to the Superdome,” Slive said. “And there is strong leadership in the community. Besides that, New Orleans has a proven track record and is a fan favorite.”

Besides New Orleans in 2012, the NCAA also awarded Final Fours to Atlanta in 2013, Dallas in 2014, Indianapolis in 2015 and Houston in 2016.

Also competing to host the tournaments were Detroit, Minneapolis, Phoenix and St. Louis.

The Superdome also hosted Final Fours in 1982, 1987, 1993 and 2003.

The 2012 game is just part of a string of big sporting events headed to the city, says Superdome spokesman Bill Curl.

New Orleans will host a NCAA men’s basketball regional in the Superdome in 2011. First- and second-round tournament games are scheduled in the New Orleans Arena in 2010. And the arena will be the site of the Women’s Final Four in 2013.

The Bowl Championship Series title game for football will also be in the Superdome in 2012, Curl said.

“And we’re anticipating a Super Bowl bid probably in 2013 and there is talk of getting another NBA All Star game,” Curl said. “New Orleans is certainly becoming a sports capital.”

New Orleans is known for its ability to host big events, said Michael Hecht, president and chief executive of Greater New Orleans, Inc., a regional economic development organization. But landing the Final Four is also evidence of the rebound the area has made post-Katrina.

“I think everyone knows our unparalleled ability to host big events,” Hecht said. “But for those who still think we’re under water, this will show them we definitely are not.”