Thousands of basketball fans are expected to visit Tampa for this week’s Women’s Final Four .

Defending national champion South Carolina (34-3) will face Texas (35-3), while UCLA (34-2) takes on UConn (35-3) in semifinals that tip off Friday at Amalie Arena.

It’s the fourth time the Bay Area has hosted the event, the first since 2019.

“The NCAA Women’s Final Four has been a phenomenal event for our community,” said Rob Higgins , executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, the group responsible for bringing sporting events to the area.

Tampa has hosted many significant sporting events, including five Super Bowls, five Stanley Cup Finals, a College Football Playoff National Championship, several Indy Car Grand Prix, three NCAA Division I Hockey National Championships and WrestleMania.

Crowning a national champion in women’s basketball is always a special event.

“We had the great fortune of hosting our first women’s Final Four in 2008, and we were amazed by the event back then, in terms of the following, as well as the stage that it puts our community on,” said Higgins. “Every time we’ve hosted since, whether in 2015 or 2019, the buzz has increased exponentially.”

“We’re honored that it’s the fourth time that the Final Four has returned here,” said USF athletics director Michael Kelly . “The university is once again the official host school of the event. “The city, particularly the downtown part of Tampa, continues to grow and get better and better, which makes for much better fan experience and student-athlete experience.”

The event’s excitement spills over into the substantial financial benefits it brings to the community.

In ’19, the Final Four attracted 16,300 hotel visitor room nights, and this year’s event is anticipated to exceed that figure, generating more than 23,000 room nights. The semifinals and championship game featured sellout crowds with 40,189.

The city of Tampa is bracing for a surge of at least 40,000 visitors this time around, which could create an economic impact of up to $25 million.

“There’s no doubt that the sport of women’s basketball is on a roll right now,” said Higgins. “It’s experienced unparalleled growth over these recent years. There’s no doubt that once the teams and visitors land here next week, it will be even more palpable in terms of the rush and the excitement around all the different festivities.”

The Final Four events go beyond the basketball court, featuring community-wide activities.

Initiatives such as the Read to the Final Four and the Legacy Court beautification project at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park demonstrate how the event extends beyond the games. These programs offer valuable opportunities to give back.

Kelly also believes the growth of the downtown area, particularly with the development of the Tampa Riverwalk, has helped make it an attractive option for hosting events such as the Final Four.

“The Riverwalk connects all kinds of fan interaction places and creates a walkable championship campus. We think it creates an awesome footprint for an event like this,” he said.

While the Final Four is scheduled through the 2031 season, Tampa remains interested in hosting the event again.

“It’s an event that’s been near and dear to our heart, and there’s no doubt that we would love to be able to have it back sooner rather than later,” said Higgins. “At this point, we want to make sure everything goes well and then, hopefully, the future will take care of itself.”

Women’s Final Four