It’s never too early to start planning ahead. Or at least it’s not when you’re on the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee.
On Thursday afternoon, the committee announced that the 2031 Men’s Final Four will return to Atlanta, marking the fifth time the city has hosted the event — the first occurring in 1977 and the most recent in 2013 when Louisville thought they won a championship until the NCAA said no sir. Atlanta was scheduled to host the 2020 Final Four before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the postseason.
Kentucky has yet to play a Final Four in “Catlanta” throughout the program’s history. The Wildcats lost in the Sweet 16 in 1977 and 2002 in Atlanta and then fell in the Round of 32 in 2007. We won’t speak of what happened in 2013 (and Louisville technically can’t either).
The 2031 Men’s Final Four will be held on April 5 …