Lincoln, Pinnacle Bank Arena 'Close' to Hosting NCAA Tournament Rounds

While both of the Nebraska men's and women's basketball teams are still fighting for a spot in this year's NCAA Tournament, Lincoln is continuing to work on becoming a host site for future versions of March Madness.

General Manager of Pinnacle Bank Arena Tim Savona talked on KLIN Radio's Drive Time Lincoln with Jack Mitchell on Monday. One of the requirements for all locations, and what has been an issue for Lincoln landing a bid, has been the number of full-service hotels. That's something that Savona said isn't an issue now.

"The full-service statement, it's kind of loaded," Savona said. "It kind of depends. As long as you're close to (full-service) or a tier from that, and you can protect the amenities that are similar for everybody, then you're OK."

Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Juwan Gary (4) warms up before the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini. — Jan 30, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Juwan Gary (4) warms up before the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Pinnacle Bank Arena. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Lincoln put in a bid to host in 2027 or 2028. Instead, cities chosen were Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Omaha, Louisville, Fort Worth, Sacramento, and Spokane in 2027 and Tulsa, Brooklyn, Orlando, Des Moines, Columbus, Birmingham, Salt Lake City, and Seattle in 2028.

This year, first- and second-round sites for the men's tournament are Lexington, Providence, Seattle, Wichita, Cleveland, Denver, Milwaukee, and Raleigh.

Lincoln currently has six full-service hotels, with another one - the Drury Hotel - on the way. The NCAA wants eight, but as Savona pointed out, Lincoln is within the range to get a bid.

"I think we have enough rooms, especially here soon with all the new ones coming on," Savona said. "We did the math and we thought we had enough (this time). We might have been close. I think we'll get there next time."

A sign outside the Nebraska Cornhuskers locker room. — Jan 22, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; A sign outside the Nebraska Cornhuskers locker room before the game against the Southern California Trojans at Pinnacle Bank Arena. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Lincoln hasn't hosted a men's NCAA Tournament round since the Bob Devaney Sports Center was the site of the first two rounds for the Midwest Region in 1988. Participating teams included Pittsburgh, NC State, Kansas, Vanderbilt, Xavier, Utah State, Eastern Michigan, and Murray State. The Jayhawks would leave Lincoln and not lose again, beating Oklahoma 83-79 in the championship game.

The conversation on hosting for March Madness came up because of the upcoming AVCA First Serve Showcase. The volleyball event will feature 10 collegiate volleyball teams from across the nation participating in four days of matches. Eight of the teams will play in Lincoln over the first three days, with two more matches slated for the fourth day in Sioux Falls.

"Having a launching point like this helps that (bid) get stronger," Savona said.

Nebraska women's basketball's Pack PBA event saw a Pinnacle Bank Arena attendance of 9,772 for the game against Ohio State. — Nebraska women's basketball's Pack PBA event saw a Pinnacle Bank Arena attendance of 9,772 for the game against No. 12 Ohio State on Jan. 26, 2025. | Nebraska Athletics

Nebraska be involved, playing Pittsburgh and Stanford. Other participating teams include Creighton, Florida, Penn State, Kansas, Vanderbilt, Minnesota, and Texas A&M.

"This is a great get for our community," Savona said. "We envision this being almost like a March Madness type feel: downtown, block party, hang out, watch on the big screen.

"Hopefully it brings a lot of people to town. There's a stat out there from their event last year where something like 40% of the participating fans came from a hundred miles plus away. I think it's going to be 40,000 people."

Ticket presale events for the AVCA First Serve Showcase begin Thursday.

Kentucky volleyball and Nebraska volleyball fans cheered on their team during the AVCA First Serve Showcase. — Kentucky volleyball and Nebraska volleyball fans cheered on their team during the AVCA First Serve Showcase at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. on Aug. 27, 2024 | Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

You can hear the full conversation on the AVCA First Serve Showcase and the work to host an NCAA men's tournament site below.

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