Execs at the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland "officially hatched" plans to bring a Women's Final Four to the city, according to John Canzano of the Portland OREGONIAN. Sport Oregon CEO Jim Etzel on Tuesday was surrounded by "some of the most influential, mountain-moving women" in the region, and was using the college basketball event as a "chance to galvanize" the Women's Final Four effort. Etzel's newly branded Sport Oregon is "partnering with" Oregon State, Travel Portland and the Trail Blazers in an effort to bring the event to Portland in '25. The initial Women's Final Four bid is "due at the end of the month." Then, a more "substantial official bid process comes in December." Finalists are announced in early '20 and "formal presentations by prospective cities and sites would follow." The final announcement is "expected next fall." Portland "hosted a women's NCAA regional last March." There were 11,538 tickets sold to the final, which included the Univ. of Oregon, but there were 7,000 tickets sold to the Portland Regional "before the brackets were even revealed." That was a "statement moment by a city that badly wants to be viewed as the site for something of significance" (Portland OREGONIAN, 11/14).
