The 2025 men’s NCAA Tournament Final Four has finally arrived.
And the national semifinals and championship game are back at a familiar site: the Alamodome in San Antonio. On Saturday, No. 1 overall seed Auburn and No. 1 Florida will square off with the chance to play the winner of No. 1 Duke and No. 1 Houston in the national championship on Monday.
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The Alamodome will host the men’s Final Four for the fifth time in history. It previously hosted the tournament in 1998, 2004, 2008 and 2018. The 2008 Final Four was the last time the national semifinals featured all four No. 1 seeds.
While the stadium in Texas has been the heart of recent NCAA Tournament history, fans may wonder: Why is it called the Alamodome? Here’s what you need to know about the Alamodome:
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Where is the 2025 Final Four?
- Date: Saturday, April 5
- Location: Alamodome in San Antonio
The 2025 Final Four for the men’s NCAA Tournament will be played on Saturday, April 5 and Monday, April 7, at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Why is it called the Alamodome?
The Alamodome celebrated its 30th anniversary in May 2023. It is named after the historic landmark of the Alamo, which is located in San Antonio. The Alamo holds significance in Texas and U.S. history, as it symbolized “Texan resistance and the fight for independence from Mexico during the Texas Revolution.”
“Remember the Alamo” became the state’s rallying cry after the Battle of the Alamo and the 13-day siege.
Initially, the dome had two popular names ― the Fiesta Dome or Megadome ― from a “Name the Dome” contest held by the city during construction. Robert Marbut Jr. came up with the name Alamodome, which quickly gained the support of Mayor Henry Cisneros.
What to know about the Alamodome
The Alamodome opened on May 15, 1993, costing approximately $186 million. The city of San Antonio owns the multi-functional stadium. Since their inaugural season in 2011, the UTSA Roadrunners football team has called the stadium their home field.
This is the fifth time the men’s Final Four has been in San Antonio, while the women’s Final Four has been played there four times. It will also host the 2029 Women’s Final Four.
The NBA’s San Antonio Spurs also called the Alamodome home for basketball games from 1993 to 2002. The Spurs won the 1999 NBA championship while calling the Alamodome home, with Games 1 and 2 of the Finals that season against the New York Knicks being played in the building.
The Alamodome has hosted 20 NCAA championship events since 1997. Here’s a look at them:
- 1997 Men’s Basketball Midwest Regional
- 1998 Men’s Final Four
- 2001 Men’s Basketball Midwest Regional
- 2002 Women’s Final Four
- 2003 Men’s Basketball South Regional
- 2004 Men’s Final Four
- 2005 Women’s Volleyball Championship
- 2006 Women’s Basketball San Antonio Regional
- 2007 Men’s Basketball South Regional
- 2008 Men’s Final Four
- 2010 Women’s Final Four
- 2011 Men’s Basketball Southwest Regional
- 2011 Women’s Volleyball Championship
- 2014 Men’s Basketball Second and Third Rounds
- 2018 Men’s Final Four
- 2021 Women’s Basketball First and Second Rounds
- 2021 Women’s Basketball Regional
- 2021 Women’s Final Four
- 2022 Men’s Basketball South Regional
- 2025 Men’s Final Four
- 2026 Women’s Volleyball Championship
- 2027 Men’s Basketball Regional
- 2029 Women’s Final Four
