Tens of thousands of fans are expected for championship basketball in Indianapolis next year.

INDIANAPOLIS — In just six months, the Circle City will host its ninth NCAA Men’s Final Four, a tournament that just five years ago was held in a bubble in Indianapolis due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“During this time, when the NCAA came in the spring, the excitement was there,” said Men’s Final Four co-chair Judith Thomas.

Now that excitement doesn’t have any restrictions, as 70,000 fans will be here cheering on the best college teams this year.

For the first time, all three divisions and the NIT Championships will be held in one city, NIT at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Divisions II and III at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the Division I Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“Instead of bringing all of our teams to the bubble like we did in ’21, we are bringing all of our championships to the bubble,” said Joan Scott, NCAA vice president of men’s basketball.

The NCAA announced Tuesday this tournament will not just be about the game. A mobile fan jam truck, tailgates and more will be all around the city before tipoff.

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Off the court, the league is stepping into schools to promote reading, an initiative led by students from all 23 NCAA colleges in Indiana.

“I always want to leave an event thinking we made an impact on students and how we can impact their careers,” Scott said. “We have a lot to teach here. There’s a lot of programming and we want to believe and understand everything about our tournament.”

With just a short time until the Big Dance, the NCAA says the game plan is not only getting the best team to the trophy, but also making Indianapolis the “Basketball Capital of the World.”

Final Four week begins March 30 with the NIT Championship.