The biggest part of March Madness is coming to University of Phoenix Stadium.
The Cardinals' home was selected Friday as the site of the 2017 Final Four, the culmination of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Arizona will become the first Western location for the Final Four since Seattle hosted back in 1995.
The decision adds yet another high-profile event coming to University of Phoenix Stadium in the next few years. The Super Bowl and Pro Bowl will be held there in early 2015. The NCAA's College Football Playoff championship game will be held there in 2016. And now the basketball championship is part of the equation.
"The Arizona Cardinals are honored to be part of the team that brought the Final Four to the Valley," Cardinals president Michael Bidwill said. "From the outset, the vision for University of Phoenix Stadium was to attract world-class events such as this.
"We thank the NCAA for selecting our community to host one of the nation's most prestigious sporting events that will also generate tens of millions of dollars in economic impact for Arizona. The Valley business community appreciates the immense value of the Final Four and will unite to support it. The Cardinals have thrived at University of Phoenix Stadium and I know that the Final Four will also."