Pittsburgh Delivers a Championship-Caliber March
March brought championship basketball to Pittsburgh, showcasing elite competition, community impact and the city’s strength as a premier sports destination.
A Message from Jim Britt
Vice President, Sports Events -- SportsPITTSBURGH
Plans for next month’s NFL Draft in Pittsburgh have been making headlines for quite some time, and rightfully so. However, it was basketball that grabbed center stage locally during the month of March as the Atlantic 10 Conference Men’s Basketball Championship and the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships came to town.
The SportsPITTSBURGH team is proud of the role we play in bringing impactful events like those to our city and helping them come to life is very gratifying. Their success reinforces Pittsburgh’s reputation as the “City of Champions” and a premier destination for athletes, fans and outstanding sports competition. What’s more, such events create economic growth and provide a positive experience that showcases Pittsburgh and gives event planners and visitors from all over the country reasons to return in the future.
Events like the Atlantic 10 tournament, the Division II men’s and women’s basketball championships -- and so many others -- fill Pittsburgh’s sports calendar year in and year out. Making them happen is a relationship-based process that requires a great deal of expertise, long-range planning and hard work.
Here at SportsPITTSBURGH, that’s what we do. And will continue to do.
Basketball Dominates the Month of March in Pittsburgh
SportsPITTSBURGH was heavily involved in the planning and execution of two high-profile college basketball events that came to Pittsburgh during the month of March -- the Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship and the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.
The Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship, which took place at PPG Paints Arena from March 11-15, featured 13 games over that five-day period with all 14 members of the conference participating. It was the 50th anniversary edition of the tournament, which returned to Pittsburgh for the first time since 2017.
This time around, the local entry -- Duquesne University -- defeated Rhode Island, 67-61, in the second round before losing to eventual champion Virginia Commonwealth, 71-66, in the quarterfinals. The Dukes won the conference’s first-ever tournament back in 1977, when it was known as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League, defeating Villanova, 57-54, in the title game at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. All-America guard Norm Nixon, who was the star of the 1977 Duquesne squad before moving on to an outstanding career with the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers, was in attendance for the Dukes’ victory over Rhode Island.
After getting by Duquesne, Virginia Commonwealth beat St. Joseph’s in the semi-finals and Dayton in the championship game and received the Atlantic 10’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. An indication of the caliber of teams that came to Pittsburgh for the conference tournament is that regular-season champ Saint Louis received an at-large bid to the NCAA tourney. Plus, five A-10 schools -- Davidson, Dayton, George Mason, Geroge Washington and St. Joseph’s -- were invited to participate in the National Invitation Tournament.
SportsPITTSBURGH was part of the local organizing committee for the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship -- offering athletes, coaches and fans the Pittsburgh experience.
The NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, co-hosted by SportsPITTSBURGH and PennWest Clarion University, will take place from March 24-28 at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on Duquesne University’s campus. Included will be Elite Eight competition on both the men’s and women’s sides, amounting to 13 games -- including the quarterfinals, semi-finals and the women’s national championship game. The men’s national championship game will take place in Indianapolis on April 5, the day between the NCAA Division I Final Four’s semi-finals and national title game.
SportsPITTSBURGH is serving as tournament director for the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships -- leading the operations, marketing and ticket sales, hospitality, community engagement and other efforts.
Throughout the month of March, everyone traveling through Pittsburgh International Airport was or will be greeted by an eye-catching 300-square-foot basketball court that was installed by SportsPITTSBURGH and its community partners. While not playable, the court, hoops and accompanying backdrops offered great photo opportunities for the teams, their fans and other visitors, while increasing awareness regarding both basketball events.
The court is situated in the baggage claim area of the newly opened terminal, a prime location for arriving travelers. The center court logo and courtside signage initially promoted the Atlantic 10 tournament and was switched to trumpet the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Championships mid-month.
“These events are really impactful to our neighborhoods and to our economic development,” Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor said at the unveiling of the court on March 6. “This is something that we’re very excited to host, and we hope we host a lot more, especially with our brand-new airport.”
“Our (SportsPITTSBURGH) team has been working diligently to prepare for this month of basketball, and to see it come to life so vividly is a huge testament to their hard work,” added Jim Britt, vice president of sports events at SportsPITTSBURGH. “Bringing the A-10’s 50th anniversary and the NCAA Division II Basketball Championships to Pittsburgh back-to-back is a massive win. These events do more than just fill seats. They prove that Pittsburgh is a premier destination for athletes and fans alike.”
These championship events did more than generate revenue and provide great entertainment for fans. There was also a community impact element to both. In fact, SportsPITTSBURGH donated a total of 500 tickets to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania and Tickets for Kids so that young, local fans could witness the action.
Community engagement was indeed a cornerstone of the NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Basketball Championships. During practice days on March 23-24, all 16 teams will spend time off the court with local youth reading stories, playing games and running basketball drills at a dozen local grade schools, the Boys & Girls Clubs, UPMC Children’s Hospital, The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh and elsewhere. SportsPITTSBURGH worked hand in hand with the NCAA on those efforts.
Looking Ahead
*Pittsburgh is one of four cities that will host an NCAA Women’s Bowling Regional tournament this spring -- along with Arlington, Texas; Lansing, Michigan; and Rochester, New York. The local edition will take place April 2-4 at AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes. This is the fourth consecutive year that Pittsburgh is hosting NCAA women’s bowling competition. What’s more, in 2027, the National Collegiate Women’s Bowling Championship will take place at AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes.
*Youth basketball competition will take place at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh on back-to-back weekends next month -- the Western PA Bruins Spring Tip-Off for girls on April 10-12 and the Hoop Group Pitt Jam Fest for boys April 17-19.
The Western PA Bruins are a local AAU program for girls ages 4-11 that is run by Pittsburgh native John Tate. Its Spring Tip-Off tournament, which will include teams from all over the country, is returning to the DLLCC for the third consecutive year. It was previously held at multiple gyms across the region.
Hoop Group Jam Fests are premier basketball tournaments that provide competition against national programs and an opportunity to play in front of college scouts and coaches. Divisions include 10U through 18U. In 2026, there will be a total of nine such events in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Massachusetts -- including a summer edition at the DLLCC in Pittsburgh, which is scheduled for July 17-19.
On the Road
SportsPITTSBURGH officials will be on the road to network and conduct due diligence at three major NCAA events in March and April. Namely, the NCAA Wrestling Championships at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, (March 19-21); NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas (March 27-30); and NCAA Men’s Frozen Four at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada (April 9-11).
This year, a new bid cycle will open at the end of summer for NCAA championships in the 2028-2031 window. With support from area universities, sports facilities and additional partners, SportsPITTSBURGH has built a proven track record of landing NCAA Division I, II and III events and is working hard to maintain that momentum. The NCAA will announce its next wave of host cities and sites by February of 2027.
