As the excitement of the NCAA Men's and Women's Final Fours took over San Antonio and Tampa, Florida, young readers in both cities celebrated their own championship moments.
The NCAA's Read to the Final Four literacy programs, hosted in collaboration with the San Antonio and Tampa Bay local organizing committees, reached thousands of third grade students through bracket-style reading competitions. Read to the Final Four is part of the NCAA's ongoing commitment to educational initiatives that leave a lasting positive impact on host communities.
In San Antonio, more than 26,000 students from 306 schools participated in the Men's Final Four reading challenge, which tipped off in October. Over the course of months, students in classrooms across the area logged reading minutes to be one of the 68 schools to qualify for the bracket challenge. Many also competed in a holiday reading tournament. In total, the students logged more than 27 million minutes of reading.
W.Z. "Doc" Burke Elementary emerged from the bracket as the champion, with 89 third graders reading more than 1.8 million minutes to earn their school a $5,000 grant to enhance its library. The top four schools were recognized at the Men's Final Four Fan Fest presented by Capital One, with students and educators honored for their dedication and achievement. The other top schools were Freedom, Royal Ridge and the Harmony School of Science.
"We are so thrilled to honor young San Antonio readers as part of the Read to the Final Four program. This program began as a way to emphasize the NCAA's education-focused mission and promote literacy among communities that are hosting our championships. Thank you to the San Antonio community for its enthusiasm, and congratulations on achieving your reading goals," said JoAn Scott, NCAA vice president of men's basketball.
On the Gulf Coast, the Women's Final Four reading program sparked enthusiasm in Tampa-area schools, drawing more than 91,000 local readers into a similar tournament-style challenge. The readers, spanning prekindergarten to fifth grade, logged more than 6.2 million minutes of reading during the challenge.
The competition reached its peak with the Fourth Quarter Challenge, designed for third graders, where Limona Elementary emerged as the champion, logging 22,753 minutes. It was honored alongside fellow top-performing schools: Shore, Anderson, Morgan Woods, Sullivan, Seffner, Lincoln, Lopez, Mintz, Fishhawk Creek, Ruskin, McDonald, Graham and Witter. The top 14 schools received $1,000 for their efforts. Collectively, these schools contributed to a remarkable 504,235 minutes read during this final round. These schools' accomplishments were celebrated Friday at Tourney Town presented by Capital One.
"Reading is an important life skill for young children to learn early. Third grade reading proficiency is a critical milestone in students' education," said Felicia Martin, NCAA senior vice president. "I want to extend a special thank you to teachers, librarians, administrators and parents for their commitment and active involvement in collaborating and facilitating the success of Read to the Final Four. It's been incredible to witness Tampa Bay and Hillsborough County commit time and space to add this enhancement as a part of their literacy goals. And it's been so much fun to see students embrace this challenge as they've competed throughout Read to the Final Four."
Read to the Final Four first launched in 2016 and continues to grow as a signature literacy initiative during championship season. The 2025 programs in San Antonio and Tampa showcased the power of sport to unite, inspire and uplift — not just on the court, but in classrooms and communities.
