Atlanta announced as finalist to potentially bring NCAA Final Four back between 2017 and 2020

Apr 5, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; NCAA Mens Final Four logo at center court during practice at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

It was less than 12 months ago when Louisville outlasted Michigan in an epic NCAA Tournament final in the Georgia Dome, but plans are already being made to potentially bring the Final Four back to Atlanta.

Atlanta was named as one of 8 finalists to compete for the 4 sets of Final Four games between 2017 and 2020, giving the city a very good chance at bringing it back within the next 6 seasons. The full bidding process won’t be completed until May and the choices won’t be decided until November, but with the very long history of successful bids by Atlanta, who hosted the Final Four in 1977, 2002 and 2007 before last year, it should be favorable.

In a statement, NCAA vice president for men’s basketball Dan Gavitt said this about the process:

"“The Men’s Final Four has grown into one of the biggest and best sporting events in the world, so it’s easy to understand why these cities would put their best foot forward in attempt to secure a bid.  We fully expect the remainder of the bid process to be competitive, and while it’s obvious that there are difficult decisions ahead, we also know that based on what we have seen so far from these prospective hosts, we are going to have great Final Fours in the coming years.”"

Because Atlanta seems to host a never-ending cycle of big-time conferences and events, some things can be lost in the shuffle, but the Final Four is a unique animal that generates significant revenue, and it’s always nice to see the best of the best compete in our city.