The steering committee for Minneapolis' bid for a Final Four will present its final pitch in front of the NCAA men's basketball committee Tuesday afternoon in Indianapolis.
Minneapolis is one of eight cities that were named finalists to receive a Final Four in the four-year cycle of 2017-20. Representatives from the NCAA visited in August after reviewing a pitch binder containing everything from renderings and the construction schedule of the future Vikings stadium to transportation options to the Mall of America.
Each of the 10 NCAA committee members vote on their choice for each year, and the NCAA will announce the four winning cities Friday night. Minneapolis is competing against New Orleans, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio and St. Louis.
The Meet Minneapolis civic group is specifically bidding for three years, 2018-20, taking into consideration the expected fall 2016 completion of the new stadium, which will host a Super Bowl in February 2018.
"I'm cautiously optimistic," said Michele Kelm-Helgen, a committee member and the chairwoman of Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority. "I think we're really putting our best foot forward."
The committees from each of the contending cities — Minneapolis' committee also includes the two co-chairs in David Mortenson (president of Mortenson Construction) and Mary Brainerd (president & CEO of Health Partners), Meet Minneapolis CEO Melvin Tennant and University of Minnesota athletic director Norwood Teague — will make their final presentations Tuesday.
