The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee conducted its annual fall meeting this week in Houston, where representatives from prospective Men's Final Four cities made their pitches to host the event. The committee has not reached a final approved decision on awarding future Men's Final Four sites but is expected to do so later this month.
The committee also met with Chris Rastatter, who is the NCAA's new national coordinator of men's basketball officiating, as well as Jeff O'Malley, the NCAA's secretary-rules editor for men's basketball, to discuss officiating and playing rules matters for the college basketball season scheduled to tip off Monday.
Chris Reynolds, the director of athletics at Bradley and the chair of the Men's Basketball Committee, participated in a news conference Tuesday to launch Houston's volunteer program for the 2023 Men's Final Four. Reynolds later joined NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt and Southwestern Athletic Conference Commissioner Charles McClelland, who is the vice chair of the committee, for a roundtable event held for local donors assisting the Houston Local Organizing Committee.
The committee also met with executives from its broadcast partners from Warner Bros. Discovery Sports and CBS Sports to discuss the networks' coverage plans for the upcoming season and 2023 championship, and committee members took a tour of NRG Stadium, which will host its third Final Four in April.
Finally, the committee spent time discussing future championship considerations, including the recent topic of expansion.
"The committee manages and reviews every aspect of the tournament annually, including expansion of the field and format," Reynolds said. "Due to the incredible tradition, history and value of this tournament, it deserves an ongoing deliberate and strategic evaluation to ensure it remains a highly competitive national championship."
