Sept. 21, 2009
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The NCAA today announced preliminary round sites have been selected for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Men’s Basketball Championship. The University of New Mexico will host first and second round games in 2012. The dates are March 15 and 17, 2012. Four games will be played on Thursday, March 15 with two games scheduled for Saturday, March 17. UNM will be hosting the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship for the 10th time, but the first time since 2005.
A total of 37 NCAA Championship games have been played in The Pit since the first time in 1968, including the 1983 Final Four.
“It’s great to see the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship return to Albuquerque and The Pit,” said UNM Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs. “This would not have happened without the commitment from Gov. Richardson and the State Legislature. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament was not coming back to The Pit without the renovations that are currently being made, so the return on the investment is already being seen. With eight teams coming, that’s roughly a $2-3 million economic boon to our community.”
NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship in Albuquerque
1968 West Regional
1978 West Regional
1983 Final Four
1985 1st and 2nd Rounds
1992 West Regional
1996 1st and 2nd Rounds
2000 West Regional
2002 1st and 2nd Rounds
2005 Albuquerque Regional
2012 1st and 2nd Rounds