NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Coming to Hartford in 2019

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is coming to Hartford in 2019 and it will be the first time in more than 20 years.

The first and second rounds of the Division 1 men’s basketball tournament will be played at the XL Center in Hartford on March 21, 2019 and March 23, 2019.

The last time Hartford hosted the games was in 1998, according to the NCAA.

Men’s basketball is not the only sport coming to Connecticut.

The Division 1 men’s golf regional is coming to Yale from May 15 to 18, 2022.

The Division 1 men’s ice hockey regional is coming to Webster Bank Area in Bridgeport from March 23-28, 2018.

The Division I Men’s lacrosse quarterfinal will be coming to Rentschler Field in East Hartford on May 18 and 19, 2019.

The lacrosse championships are coming to Rentschler Field in East Hartford in May 2021 and May 2022.

Governor Dannel Malloy proposed $250 million in taxpayer funds be used to renovate the XL Center to make it competitive among rival venues in nearby Boston and New York.

He says the selection by the NCAA to host a regional for the organization's highest grossing championship is a vote of confidence that Hartford can handle such an event, and that there is demand for it.

“It means that if we do the things that we’re supposed to do then we get can get other things and tournaments as well.”

Malloy's proposal has recieved a chilly reception so far in the State Capitol. While many lawmakers agree with the premise that Hartford and the Capital Region should have a top-flight arena to draw major acts and sporting events, they think the timing is wrong.

Connecticut faces budget deficits totaling $3 billion over the next two years and many lawmakers don't see the XL Center as a priority.

The governor hopes the announcement that the XL Center will be featured prominently during March Madness will change that.

“We can do this if we have the right facilities and we keep the facilities in shape and that means we’ve got to spend some money but if people are wondering whether it’s worth doing, I think this a good down payment.”