2028 NCAA Women's Final Four will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

Amid the rapid growth in popularity for women's basketball, the NCAA announced Tuesday that the 2028 NCAA Women's Final Four in Indianapolis would be moving venues from Gainbridge Fieldhouse to Lucas Oil Stadium. It will be the first time the Women's Final Four is played in a football stadium since 2005, which was also in Indianapolis at the old RCA Dome. 

"Moving the 2028 Women's Final Four to Lucas Oil Stadium will allow for more access for our fans, and it represents the continued growth of the sport," said Amanda Braun, director of athletics at Milwaukee and chair of the committee. "With the interest we have seen, holding the Women's Final Four in a larger venue in Indianapolis is a natural next step."

After sellouts for a number of recent Women's Final Fours in basketball arenas, the NCAA will return to a football stadium setup in 2028 to bring in more fans. The setup at Lucas Oil Stadium will allow for 13,000 more fans in attendance.

The 2029 Final Four is already set for the Alamodome in San Antonio, with 2030 in Portland at the Moda Center and 2031 in Dallas at American Airlines Center. Portland does not have a larger indoor stadium, but Dallas does and time will tell regarding the possibility of AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

The NCAA's Division I women's basketball committee also voted to continue the current preliminary round format through the 2031 tournament, with the top-4 seeds hosting the first weekend of play. They will also continue playing the regional rounds at two sites rather than four. 

"We reviewed alternatives to the First Four, first- and second-round format and the regional format, and the data supports keeping our current model," Braun said. "This will continue to be a point of discussion for the committee as we look to serve tournament participants and fans in the best possible way." 

The last three tournaments under this model have been the highest-attended tournaments in history.