NCAA March Madness Returns To Houston In 2020

March Madness 2017 ended only a few weeks ago, but basketball fans in the Houston area are already looking forward to 2020, because that's when the Toyota Center will host the South Regional of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

This marks the 12th time that March Madness games will be played in Houston. NRG Stadium hosted the Final Four in 2011 and 2016, and the South Regional in 2008, 2010, and 2015.

“We want to thank everyone who submitted a bid for this cycle of championship site selections and for their continued commitment during the process,” Joni Comstock, NCAA senior vice president of championships, said in a statement. “We look forward to working with our membership, the cities and local organizing committees who may host for the first time, as well as the groups who will repeat as host sites. I also want to acknowledge and thank the sports committees that reviewed these exceptional bids and made the selections based on providing the best possible experience for our student-athletes, coaches and spectators.”

The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority was part of the group that submitted bids to the NCAA, and working with the Toyota Center and the Houston Rockets went for first- and second-round games and regionals.

"The bid is highly competitive," Janis Schmees Burke, CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, told the Houston Chronicle. "There are many cities around the country that want to host these type of events, so we are very pleased with this date. I think we have avid sports fans that love the game of basketball."

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Houston joins Los Angeles, Indianapolis, and New York City in hosting 2020 Regionals.

Other Texas cities elected to host basketball games were Dallas (American Airlines Arena) for 2021 first- and second-round match-ups, Fort Worth (the new Fort Worth Arena) for first- and second-round games in 2022, and San Antonio (AT&T Center) for the South Regional in 2022.

"Working with our valued host institutions and conferences, as well as sports commissions and cities, to create a great atmosphere for student-athletes, coaches and fans with the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments is our goal every year," Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball, said in the statement. "We’re looking forward to working with the groups that earned preliminary-round basketball sites, as well as the local organizing committees already slated to host NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Fours."

One warning: The Texas "Bathroom Bill" could jeopardize could spur the NCAA to reconsider its decision to hold games in the Lone Star state. Greg Abbott, Texas's governor, on Tuesday endorsed the bill, which would ban cities from adopting nondiscrimination ordinances applying to restrooms. Abbott has asked the state legislature to send him a bill before the end of May.

— Image: Wikimedia Commons/Ed Uthman