March Madness Could Run Through Minneapolis on Both Sides in 2027

In March 2027, the eyes of the college basketball world could be focused on Minneapolis as both the men's and women's national tournaments could be played in Minnesota.

We already know for certain that the Target Center will host the first two rounds of the 2027 men's NCAA Tournament, which is officially set to take place March 19-22, 2027.

Meanwhile, the women's tournament will be taking place at the same time. And if next year is anything like this year, then Dawn Plitzuweit's Gophers will be heading into the tournament with a top-16 seed, meaning Williams Arena would once again be hosting first- and second-round games for four teams.

Williams was home to three games in the Round of 64 and the Round of 32 this year, as the Gophers landed a top-16 seed and a No. 4 seed in the tournament. They used the home-court advantage to defeat Green Bay 75-58 in the first round, and then No. 5 Ole Miss 65-63 in the second round. The Barn was also the site for a first-round game between Ole Miss and Gonzaga.

With several key players returning and several highly-rated high school recruits incoming, there's a decent chance that Minnesota will again be good enough to land a top-16 seed in the tourney and host games on the opening weekend next March.

In fact, Minnesota Star Tribune is reporting that the University of Minnesota has already reserved Williams Arena for the weekend of the first two rounds, currently scheduled from March 19-22.

While hosting games would be great for Minnesota, it would put the Minnesota State High School League in a bit of a pinch since the MSHSL is planning to host the annual girls' basketball tournament March 17-20.

This year's girls' hoops tourney was played at Williams Arena and Maturi Pavilion, so if the Gophers wind up hosting the NCAAs again, it would force the MSHSL to find a different venue or change the dates.

The likeliest candidate if a venue change is required is the University of St. Thomas' Lee & Penny Anderson Arena in St. Paul. However, the Wild's Grand Casino Arena could also be an option, though the Minnesota Wild are already pushed out of town every year for a stretch as the arena serves as the site for the boys' and girls' state hockey tournaments, as well as the state high school wrestling tournament.

Grand Casino Arena has hosted basketball in the past, when the Minnesota Lynx played the 2016 playoffs and the 2017 season at the arena while Target Center was being renovated.