The NCAA on Friday confirmed that it will "wait until at least next year to select sites" for the NCAA men's basketball tournament's First Four in '16 and beyond, according to Joe Cogliano of the DAYTON BUSINESS JOURNAL. The event will again be held at Univ. of Dayton Arena in '14 and '15, and local officials "had been lobbying the NCAA to secure an earlier commitment" for the First Four for "as much as a decade." NCAA Dir of Media Coordination/Statistics & March Madness Media Coordinator David Worlock said, "This is simply a byproduct of the changing landscape of college athletics and due to this ever-changing landscape, the Men’s Basketball Committee is reluctant to enter into a long-term agreement -- for any round(s) of the tournament." NCAA First Four Local Organizing Committee Chair J.P. Nauseef said that the decision "doesn't take away from everything the community has done to demonstrate that Dayton is an ideal place to host college basketball tournament games." Cogliano noted the '13 First Four "marked the 13th consecutive year the Road to the Final Four has kicked off in Dayton" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 8/16). In Dayton, Doug Harris reported UD is "considered the frontrunner" to host the event from '16-18 when bids are weighed next May (DAYTONDAILYNEWS, 8/16).
