The NCAA announced future sites for its popular men’s basketball tournament Tuesday, and Des Moines was selected for the second time.
Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines will host first- and second-round games on March 21-24, 2019. The host school will be Drake University, which means Iowa, Iowa and Northern Iowa would all be permitted to play at that site if they are picked for the tournament.
Des Moines was a host site for the first time back in 2016. The success last year has brought the crown jewel of all college tournaments back to Central Iowa.
Kansas City’s Sprint Center will be a regional site in 2019, which means the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games will be less than four hours away. The Final Four is less than five hours away in Minneapolis.