PHILADELPHIA – Saint Joseph's will serve as host for the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds, NCAA officials announced on Wednesday. Partnering with the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) and its PHL Sports division, the Hawks will host the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds at the Wells Fargo Center.
 
"Saint Joseph's is honored by the selection to host the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds in Philadelphia," said Director of Athletics Jill Bodensteiner. "Philadelphia and St. Joe's have passionate and storied histories of college basketball, and we're thrilled for this opportunity to showcase that rich basketball tradition with the current spirit of the collegiate game." 
 
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. The four championships not included in the process due to preexisting site arrangements are: Division I baseball, Division I football, Division I softball and Division III women's ice hockey.
 
Saint Joseph's previously hosted the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds.