Newark, NJ – Oct. 19, 2020 –The Greater Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau (GNCVB) announces that the NCAA has selected Prudential Center, the world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, and host institution Seton Hall University as a host site for the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament East Regional.
This marks the return of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament to Prudential Center for the first time since 2011, when No. 4 Kentucky defeated No. 2 North Carolina in the East Regional Final.
“This is truly great news and a real boost for our travel and tourism economy during an unprecedented year,” says Ricardo Salazar, Acting President/CEO, GNCVB. “We look forward to welcoming the teams and their supporters and sharing with them the very best that Newark has to offer. We know they will enjoy our excellent accommodations, our convenience as one of the largest transportation hubs in the nation, Newark’s renowned arts and cultural scene, and some of the finest restaurants found on the East Coast.”
For only the third time in its history, the NCAA undertook a site selection process where most of its championships were put out for bid at the same time, which created the largest host site announcement ever, spanning 86 championships across a four-year cycle. Bidding for 86 of 90 NCAA championships began in August 2019 and more than 3,000 bid applications were ultimately submitted. Each sport committee, per division, selected the host sites it believed would provide the ultimate experience for the respective student-athletes, resulting in more than 450 total championship event sites being awarded. More than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships each year.
“This was a huge undertaking,” exclaims Gregory Good, GNCVB Board Chair, “Newark knows how to host mega-events, and being selected as the host city for the 2025 NCAA Tournament is a major coup for all of us. This would not have been possible without the support and leadership of Mayor Ras J. Baraka and the Newark Municipal Council, the staff of Prudential Canter and its host school, Seton Hall University, and the staff of the Greater Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau. It took true teamwork to put together a winning proposal.”
For more information: NCAA.org.
ABOUT PRUDENTIAL CENTER
Prudential Center is the world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opened in October 2007, the state-of-the-art arena is the home of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) three-time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall University’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball program, and more than 175 concerts, family shows and special events each year. The arena is also home to the GRAMMY Museum Experience Prudential Center, which opened its doors to the public on October 2017. The 8,200-square-foot experience marks the first GRAMMY Museum outpost on the East Coast, and features a dynamic combination of educational programming and interactive permanent and traveling exhibits, including a spotlight on legendary GRAMMY winners from New Jersey. Ranked in the Top 8 nationally by Pollstar, Billboard and VenuesNow, Prudential Center is recognized as one of the premier venues in the United States, with over 2 million guests annually. For more information about Prudential Center, visit PruCenter.com and follow the arena on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PruCenter. Prudential Center is a Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment property.
About GNCVB
The Greater Newark Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization for the city of Newark, New Jersey. GNCVB is a private 501(c) (6) New Jersey non-profit corporation, primarily funded by Newark’s hotels through a Tourism Improvement District, which is committed to create economic growth and increase employment in Newark by marketing and developing the Greater Newark region as a year-round destination as well as increasing the number of overnight visitors staying at Newark hotels. Established in July of 2008, the GNCVB was the first Destination Marketing Organization in the state of New Jersey to establish a Tourism Improvement District. During its tenure, hotel sales have climbed dramatically, new hotels have opened, and Newark’s visitation has grown to over 1,200,000 overnight guests annually. The Greater Newark Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is also charged with promoting and marketing the assets of the region, increase per capita spending in the tourism sector, as well as attracting new events, meetings and conferences to the region.
