LOUDONVILLE, NY – The NCAA has announced that Siena College, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and the Times Union Center have been awarded a pair of upcoming NCAA Basketball Tournaments. The trio has been selected to host the 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds and the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Super Regional.
 
"We are honored to have been selected to co-host NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament games once again in 2023 and 2024," said Siena College Vice President and Director of Athletics John D'Argenio. "Siena, the MAAC, and the Times Union Center have a rich history of co-hosting first class NCAA events together, and we're excited to welcome back the NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments to Albany. The Capital Region has a strong college basketball tradition which makes it an attractive location to host these events. We're thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase the Capital Region and our top-notch facilities to college basketball fans from both near and far, and we couldn't be happier for the local community and our great fans." 
 
The 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball First and Second Rounds will be returning to Albany for the first time in 20 years. Siena, the MAAC, and the facility previously co-hosted the NCAA Men's East Regional in 2003, and First and Second Round games in 1995. First and Second Round contests were also slated to be held at the Times Union Center this past March, prior to the entirety of the 2020 NCAA Tournament being cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
 
"What every coach and player dreams of experiencing - the NCAA Tournament - will be in our backyard, and we couldn't be more excited to host the First and Second Rounds in 2023 at our home arena," remarked Siena Men's Basketball Head Coach Carmen Maciariello. "Our passionate fans are what makes the Capital Region so special, and we're thrilled to have the opportunity to host an NCAA Tournament for them."
 
The 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Albany Super Regional will mark the fifth time in less than a decade that Siena, the MAAC, and the Times Union Center have co-hosted NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament games. The trio previously co-hosted regionals in 2015, 2018, and 2019, and are set to host again next March. The new Super Regional format – which takes effect beginning in 2023 – will feature eight teams competing in Albany, with two advancing to the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. 
 
"I am so proud to be the women's basketball head coach at Siena College in the MAAC, and have the opportunity to work in a community that promotes and supports women's basketball," noted Siena Women's Basketball Head Coach Ali Jaques. "The Capital Region loves its basketball, and we're grateful for the opportunity to host this Super Regional."
 
The NCAA made a total of more than 450 selections of host sites for preliminary rounds and final sites of predetermined championships in Divisions I, II, and III, with most to be held from 2022-23 through 2025-26.

"This announcement is thrilling for the MAAC, and we are excited for another opportunity to work with our colleagues at Siena and the Times Union Center," commented MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. "It was disappointing to see the 2020 Men's Basketball First and Second Rounds cancelled earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially knowing how much work had been put into the event from all parties. The MAAC is happy to see that Albany has not only been awarded another chance to host the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, but also an opportunity to host the new women's 'super' eight-team regional as well." 
 
The NCAA received more than 3,000 bid submissions from NCAA member schools, conferences, sports commissions and cities vying to host predetermined rounds for 86 of the NCAA's 90 championships. The sites were selected by the respective NCAA sports committees and approved by the divisional competition oversight and championships committees.
 
"The Times Union Center is honored and excited to be selected to host both men's and women's basketball and men's ice hockey," added Times Union Center General Manager Bob Belber. "Having two Championships cancelled this year due to COVID-19, we are thrilled to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We have a great relationship with the NCAA as well as the MAAC, ECAC, Siena College and Union College. We look forward to working with all of them to bring these historic championships back to the Capital Region."
 
For more information and a full listing of the NCAA Championships site selections, visit on.ncaa.com/NCAAHost