NCAA Division I Men's Basketball First and Second Rounds

DES MOINES, Iowa (October 2, 2024) – The NCAA announced today that Des Moines has been awarded the DI Men’s Basketball Championships First and Second Rounds happening in March 2028. The tournament will be hosted by Drake University and played at Casey's Center. This is the fourth time Des Moines will host the tournament, with the other three happening in 2016, 2019, and 2023. In previous years, Des Moines has been the first site to sell out for First and Second Rounds. "March Madness is the gold standard among regional sporting events, and every time it comes to town our community shows up loud and proud,” said Catch Des Moines President and CEO Greg Edwards. “As a now four-time host, we’re no longer the underdog, because we’ve worked hard to build up an incredible resume. We don’t take anything for granted and I think that shows in how we roll out the blue carpet to make the teams feel welcome and to make sure our region is ready for its close-up.” “As Des Moines’ hometown team, Drake University is thrilled to serve as the host institution for another NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 2028. Our selection in a very competitive bid cycle is a testament to the unparalleled support Des Moines has exemplified for major events as well as the first-class experience we have provided student-athletes, coaches, and fans when we have previously hosted. All involved with the teams fortunate to be sent to Des Moines will love our city,” said Drake University Director of Athletics Brian Hardin. Both Drake University and the Iowa Events Center have proven they have a strong track record of hosting championship level events through Drake Relays, NCAA Wrestling Championships, and numerous NBA and NHL preseason games. Couple that with previous success hosting NCAA basketball tournaments, and Des Moines becomes a slam dunk. "Polk County is thrilled to announce our selection as a host for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 2028. This achievement underscores our commitment to fostering sports and entertainment events in our community,” said Polk County Board of Supervisors Chair Angela Connolly. “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners at Iowa Events Center, Catch Des Moines, and Drake University for their collaborative efforts in bringing this prestigious event back to central Iowa." Ticket sales will be announced in the future. Casey's Center has a clear bag policy for all events. A maximum clear bag the size of 12"x6"x12" is permitted. Exceptions will be made for medical, family, or child care bags or small clutches no larger than 4.5"x6.5". Casey's Center is a cashless facility, only accepting debit, credit, and gift cards. If you do not carry a debit or credit card, you can transfer cash onto a gift card at Overtime Tap (Section 108). Tickets for all events at Casey's Center must be added to a digital wallet (Apple Wallet or Google Wallet) for entry. Barcodes will no longer display on tickets. Tickets will be scanned by tapping your phone on the scanner at the door. Learn more about Mobile Ticketing at Casey's Center. Parking is available at the Iowa Events Center with entrances off 3rd Street and 5th Avenue. Meter parking is available throughout downtown Des Moines with the convenience of the ParkDSM app. Parking meters charge Monday through Saturday from 9am-9pm. City parking garages are located throughout downtown with convenient skywalk access to the Iowa Events Center. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information. Third party trackers collect information to use for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. Under the Colorado CPA, the Virginia CDPA, the Texas DPSA, the Oregon CPA, the Montana CDPA, and the Florida DBR, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal data to third parties, of targeted advertising related processing, and of some types of profiling. You may exercise your rights by using the toggles below. If you opt out, the ads and content that you see may not be as relevant to you. Under the Colorado CPA, you have the right to opt back in to these categories at any time should you initially choose to opt out, and you may do so using the same toggles provided below. For more details on the data we process and how to exercise your rights, and to view information related to required opt-in disclosures, see our Privacy Policy These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site