Arena and partners to welcome college sports fans from around the United States in 2023 and 2025
SEATTLE – Oct. 14 — Climate Pledge Arena and Oak View Group today announced that the arena will host multiple NCAA® Championship events in both Women’s and Men’s basketball in 2023 and 2025, showcasing the soon-to-be-completed arena to sports fans from all over the country
The arena was awarded the:
· NCAA® Division I Women’s Basketball Regionals in 2023
· NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds in 2025
The bids and hosting are in partnership with the Seattle Sports Commission and partner institutions including the University of Washington and Seattle University.
“A key part of the vision behind the Climate Pledge Arena’s redevelopment was to secure world-class events like the NCAA® Championships, and we are proud to see that vision realized with today’s announcement,” said Steve Mattson, executive vice president and general manager, Climate Pledge Arena. “The arena’s location in the heart of the city and on the Seattle Center Campus is the perfect location for NCAA® sports fans from around the world to come to cheer on their team and also experience Seattle. We are very excited to work with our partners at the Seattle Sports Commission and the partner collegiate organizations to ensure that these experiences will solidify Seattle and Climate Pledge Arena as a premier location for NCAA® Championship events for decades to come.”
“It is a privilege to be selected as a host city by the NCAA®,” said Seattle Sports Commission President Beth Knox. “This is an important step in positioning our region as a world-class sports market while showcasing state-of-the art venues like Climate Pledge Arena and the hosting abilities of our University partners. We look forward to having student-athletes competing again, and the opportunity to provide them an extraordinary experience in the Seattle region.”
“We are so excited to welcome student-athletes, university staff and fans from all around the world to the Seattle Center campus and Climate Pledge Arena,” said Seattle Center Director Robert Nellams. “We can’t wait to work with the arena and our community and university partners to provide a truly Seattle experience that will help show off our beautiful city and make it clear that the road to NCAA ® Championships should always pass through Seattle.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Climate Pledge Arena and the Seattle Sports Commission to host the First & Second Rounds of the 2025 NCAA® Men’s Basketball Tournament,” said University of Washington Director of Athletics, Jennifer Cohen. “Seattle is such an incredible city and we feel so fortunate that the NCAA® has selected to host this event here. We look forward to collaborating with everyone involved to make this a memorable experience for the student-athletes, schools and spectators.”
“Seattle University is thrilled to partner with the Seattle Sports Commission and Climate Pledge Arena to host the 2023 NCAA® Division I Women’s Basketball Regionals,” said Seattle University Director of Athletics Shaney Fink. “There is tremendous energy and passion for women’s basketball in Seattle and this announcement, days after the Seattle Storm claimed another WNBA Championship, feels like a wonderful reward for our community.”
Ticket information will be announced at a later date by the NCAA®.
Climate Pledge Arena’s location at the base of the Space Needle and on the Seattle Center campus puts student-athletes and fans in the center of Seattle. Access to the arena via The Seattle Center Monorail will also provide a convenient link between the arena and downtown shopping, hotels and Pike Place Market with a quick two-minute ride.
“Student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans, in addition to taking advantage of our great location, will also be helping us spread the mission behind Climate Pledge Arena and our goal of being a net zero carbon venue,” continued Mattson. “Every visitor to these championships will see our world-class hospitality, but also all the efforts we are taking to ensure the arena is the new standard for sports and event spaces and the responsibility we all have to tackle climate change.”
The 18,100-seat multi-purpose venue located at Seattle Center is expected to host 200 events each year, including the NHL’s 32nd and newest expansion team Seattle Kraken, four-time WNBA world champion Seattle Storm, live music and entertainment from the world’s biggest stars, and City of Seattle community events. It is currently undergoing a transformation to construct a brand-new arena under the landmark Paul Thiry-designed roof.
To learn more about Climate Pledge Arena visit www.ClimatePledgeArena.com.
###
About Climate Pledge Arena
Climate Pledge Arena, located at Seattle Center, will be the first net zero certified arena in the world. It will serve as a long-lasting and regular reminder of the urgent need for climate action. The Climate Pledge, which was founded by Amazon and Global Optimism in 2019, is a commitment from companies globally to be net zero carbon by 2040. The complete redevelopment of this historic landmark, originally built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, will be an industry first. Home to the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, WNBA’s Seattle Storm, and the world’s biggest performers of live music and events, Climate Pledge Arena will open in 2021. Learn More at www.climatepledgearena.com
About Oak View Group (OVG)
Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015. OVG is focused on being a positive disruption to business as usual in the sports and live entertainment industry and currently has 8 divisions across 4 global offices (Los Angeles, New York, London, and Philadelphia). OVG is leading the redevelopment and operations of Climate Pledge Arena as well as leading arena development projects in Belmont, NY, Austin, TX, and Milan, Italy. OVG Global Partnerships, a division of OVG, is the sales and marketing arm responsible for selling across all OVG Arena Development projects.
About Seattle Center:
Connect to the extraordinary at Seattle Center, an active civic, arts and family gathering place in the core of our region. More than 30 cultural, educational, sports and entertainment organizations that reside on the grounds, together with a broad range of public and community programs, create thousands of events on the 74-acre campus and attract over 12 million visitors each year. At Seattle Center, part of Uptown Arts & Cultural District, our purpose is to create exceptional events, experiences and environments that delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities. Activities at the Center generate $1.864 billion in business activity and $631 million in labor income.
About The Seattle Sports Commission
The Seattle Sports Commission (SSC) is committed to making the Greater Seattle Region a world-class sports market. By fostering a strong sports culture that hosts youth, amateur and professional events, the SSC seeks to create positive social and economic impact within our community. Go to seattlesports.org to learn more.
About University of Washington Athletics
The University of Washington sponsors teams in 22 varsity athletic programs and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference. The UW and its 650 student-athletes are committed to victory in the classroom, in the field of competition and in the community. For more information on Husky Athletics, visit www.gohuskies.com.
About Seattle UniversitySeattle University, founded in 1891, is a Jesuit Catholic university located on 50 acres in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. More than 7,200 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within nine schools and colleges. Seattle University is consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the West by U.S. News & World Report and included in The Princeton Review’s Best Colleges guide. Seattle U sponsors 20 intercollegiate sports at the NCAA® Division I level. All sports except for women’s rowing, which competes as a Division I Independent, are members of the Western Athletic Conference. In alignment with the university mission and vision, Seattle U Athletics is committed to graduating champions, empowering leaders and inspiring community to develop Redhawks for life. For more information, visit goseattleu.com.
