GLENDALE, Ariz. — For the second time in the past 20 years, State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, is hosting the NCAA men's basketball Final Four and national championship.
On Saturday, Purdue and UConn won their Final Four games to advance to Monday night's national championship game, which tips off at 6:20 p.m. Arizona time.
If you're not familiar with the stadium that is hosting college basketball's biggest games in 2024, here's what you need to know.
Where is the national championship being played?
The 2024 men's Final Four and national championship game are being played at State Farm Stadium, the home of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals.
State Farm Stadium opened in 2006 and was originally known as University of Phoenix Stadium, but State Farm took over the naming rights in 2018 when the Cardinals and the insurance giant agreed to an 18-year naming rights deal.
The arena has a seating capacity of 63,400 for NFL games, but can expand to more than 73,000 seats for major sporting events like the Final Four or the Super Bowl.
State Farm Stadium has hosted two Final Fours (2017 and 2024), three Super Bowls (2008, 2015 and 2023) and has been the home of college football's Fiesta Bowl since 2007.
On the TBS broadcast of the Final Four on Saturday, you may have noticed a patch of grass outside of the stadium. That is because State Farm Stadium has a retractable grass playing field that can be moved outside when it is not being used by the Cardinals. According to the stadium's website, the field "rolls on 546 steel wheels, gliding on 13 railroad-like tracks. In just 70 minutes, at the push of a button, the field can be moved 740 feet in or out of the stadium. "
State Farm Stadium has also been the host of many other major events, including the first concert of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in 2023, the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship and the NFL's Pro Bowl in 2015. It also hosts many other events, including home and garden shows, car auctions, graduations and more.
Some of the biggest upcoming events include Monster Jam, concerts from the Rolling Stones and Luke Combs, and group stage soccer matches in the CONMEBOL Copa America tournament.
State Farm Stadium is located about 13 miles from downtown Phoenix, about 20 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and 26 miles from Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, where the Cardinals played before moving to State Farm Stadium.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on ASU's Tempe campus.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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