Chase Center, the new San Francisco arena being built as the future home of the Golden State Warriors, will be the site of NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament regional games in 2022, the Warriors announced Tuesday.
The Pac-12 Conference will serve as host for the West Regional on March 24 and 26, 2022, at the Mission Bay venue, which is slated to open for the start of the 2019-20 NBA season.
It will mark the first time NCAA basketball tournament games will be played in San Francisco since the inaugural tournament in 1939. Those games were played at the California Coliseum on Treasure Island, the team said.
“This is one of the most exciting events on the calendar for sports," Warriors President Rick Welts said. "We have nine people on our current roster and coaching staff fortunate to have advanced to the Sweet 16 during their college career, and we’re excited for this to be the first event officially on our Chase Center schedule."
Back-to-back NBA MVP Stephen Curry, All-Star forward Draymond Green, forwards Matt Barnes, Andre Iguodala, James Michael McAdoo and Kevon Looney participated in the Sweet 16 during their college careers. Warriors coach Steve Kerr and assistants Jarron Collins and Bruce Fraser also competed in the Sweet 16.
"There is nothing quite like the NCAA Tournament," Kerr said. "Advancing to the regional finals, and eventually the Final Four, was certainly one of the highlights of my college career."
