NCAA Championships in Philadelphia
May 3, 2023
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is holding five championship events for the 2023 – 2026 seasons in Philadelphia.
Four sports will host championship events in Philadelphia — Wrestling, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Rowing, and Men’s Lacrosse. Regional partners, including local universities, venues, the City of Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association (GPHA), the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) and its PHL Sports division, will work together to facilitate the NCAA Championships.
These five events, in addition to the 2022 Men’s Basketball East Regional, will bring over 128,500 unique attendees to Philadelphia. This will generate more than 76,000 room nights across the region.
The five championships coming to Philadelphia include:
2023 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship, Lincoln Financial Field
Host: Drexel University
2023 NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships, Cooper River/Camden County
Host: Temple University
2024 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship, Lincoln Financial Field
Host: Drexel University
2025 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Wells Fargo Center
Host: Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania
2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball 1st/2nd Rounds, Wells Fargo Center
Host: Saint Joseph’s University
Learn more about all the NCAA events listed above on the NCAA’s website.
Philadelphia’s Rich Collegiate Sports History
Philadelphia previously hosted Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games during the NCAA March Madness in 2022. The three tournament games at the Wells Fargo Center showcased Philadelphia and brought in approximately 15,000 visitors, which translated into about 8,100 hotel rooms.
March Madness at Wells Fargo Center. Photo by J. Ryan for PHLCVB.
Home to The Big 5 — the University of Pennsylvania, LaSalle University, Saint Joseph’s University, Temple University, Drexel University, and Villanova University — Philadelphia is no stranger to elite college athletics. The city has hosted 90 Army-Navy Games since the teams first met in 1890 and many other NCAA championships, including the 1976 Men’s Final Four and 2000 Women’s Final Four. In 2026, — the year Men’s basketball returns to Philadelphia — the city will host the FIFA World Cup 2026™, Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game, and PGA Championship.
PHL Sports, a business division of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, brings major sporting events to Philadelphia and works to give them the best experience possible. The division works in conjunction with the City of Philadelphia, the city’s professional teams, universities and venues to welcome fans and teams from all around the globe to Philadelphia.
