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Women's NCAA Final Four coming to Portland in 2030

The Final Four projects as a major economic boost for Portland. An estimated 11,000 hotel rooms would be used between downtown and the Lloyd District that weekend.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland will host the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Final Four in 2030, the NCAA announced Monday. It's the first time Portland has been selected as a host city for the premier college basketball event.

The games will be played at Moda Center, the University of Portland will be the host school and the Oregon Convention Center will host the WBCA Coaches Convention the same weekend.

The Final Four projects to be a major economic boost for Portland. Between the Final Four and coaches convention that weekend, about 11,000 hotel rooms will be used between downtown Portland and the Lloyd District, according to a press release from the Rose Quarter.

"There is not another city in the country that will embrace this event and what it stands for more than Portland," said Jeff Miller, president and CEO of Travel Portland. "Travel Portland — along with our partners — enthusiastically looks forward to welcoming the world of women's basketball to our inclusive, diverse and women's-sports-loving city."

Portland hosted the women's NCAA regionals in 2019. The city was a finalist in 2020 to host the Final Four in 2025 or 2026 but fell short. Portland has hosted men's NCAA tournament games, including this past spring, and will host the women's super regional in 2024 and the men's regional in 2026.

A bidding group comprised of representatives from Sport Oregon, Travel Portland, the Rose Quarter/Portland Trail Blazers and the University of Portland spent the past year pitching the winning bid for 2030. Representatives from the NCAA and Women's Basketball Committee visited Portland in September and the group made its final pitch Nov. 16 in Dallas.

"To say we are excited is a massive understatement – this is a huge win for our community and our bid partners," said Sport Oregon CEO Jim Etzel. "We’ve put in a lot of work to get to this day, and this is certainly a great feeling. But the work we have ahead of us is even more substantial. Our bidding partners are aligned, our community is hungry, and Portland is ready to host a Women’s Final Four."

There was a five-year open window for the women's Final Four. The other winning host cities were Columbus, Ohio in 2027, Indianapolis in 2028, San Antonio in 2029 and Dallas in 2031.

“We’ve put in a lot of work to get to this day, and this is certainly a great feeling,” said Etzel. “But the work we have ahead of us is even more substantial. Our bidding partners are aligned, our community is hungry, and Portland is ready to host a Women’s Final Four.”

There was a five-year open window for the women's Final 4. 

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