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Portland misses shot to host 2025, 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four

AJ McCord and KOIN 6 News Staff

FILE - In this March 31, 2019, file photo, Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu celebrates a regional final victory over Mississippi State in the NCAA women's college basketball tournament in Portland, Ore. Oregon is No. 1 for the first time in school history while Tennessee’s streak of 42 straight appearances in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 is over. The Ducks, led by sensational guard Sabrina Ionescu, garnered 25 of the 28 first-place votes from the national media panel to earn the top ranking in the poll released Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Dipaola)

Portland, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland officially missed its shot to host the 2025 and 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four.

On Wednesday, the NCAA announced Tampa Bay and Phoenix were selected to host the upcoming collegiate tournaments over the two other finalists in contention — Portland and Columbus, Ohio. Tampa Bay will host in 2025 while Phoenix is slated to host in 2026.

The Moda Center has held previous NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional Rounds, which included the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 — where the Oregon Ducks ultimately cut down the nets. Both the Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers have had great success with their recent basketball teams, giving way to an upswing in support for women’s sports in the state.

Along with announcing the Women’s Final Four locales, the NCAA released a list of 450 championship sites for the next few years. Among them include several Oregon-based selections: