Six More NCAA Events Coming to Lexington in 2024-26

LEXINGTON, Kentucky – The University of Kentucky will play host to six NCAA events – one national championship and five preliminary round competitions – from 2024-26 in the sports of rifle, outdoor track and field, men’s basketball, women’s golf and gymnastics, the NCAA announced Wednesday.
 
Today’s announcements add to a list of two other NCAA championships scheduled to be held in Lexington in 2021, including men’s basketball and cross country. 
 
“We are honored to have the opportunity to host these NCAA events, along with the ones already scheduled to come here,” said Mitch Barnhart, UK Director of Athletics. “Being a host in the postseason is important to reaching the elite status we are pursuing.  We are proud to display the city of Lexington by bringing thousands of visitors to our community. I also want to thank our staff for all the hard work that goes into hosting championship-caliber events.”
 
Here is a list of the newly scheduled events in the order they will occur:
 

• Rifle – The rifle national championship will be held in Memorial Coliseum on March 8-9, 2024.  This is the second time that the championship has been scheduled in Lexington. UK was the 2020 host but the event was cancelled the day before it began because of coronavirus concerns.
• Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field – The East Regional will be May 23-25, 2024, at the UK Track and Field Complex.  
• Men’s Basketball – Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center will be a site for the NCAA Tournament First and Second Rounds on March 20-23, 2025.  This will be the 14^th time that the NCAA tourney – first/second rounds, regional or Final Four – has been played in the building.
• Women’s Golf – UK will play host to an NCAA Regional on May 4-7, 2025. 
• Women’s Gymnastics – For the third time in school history, Memorial Coliseum will be the site for a women’s gymnastics regional on April 2-5, 2026.    
• Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field – The East Regional will be May 28-30, 2026, at the UK Track and Field Complex.  

 
Here is a list of the events previously scheduled in the order they will occur:
 

• Men’s Basketball – Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center will be a site for the NCAA Tournament First and Second Rounds on March 19 and 21, 2021.  This will be the 13^th time that the NCAA tourney – first/second rounds, regional or Final Four – has been played at the arena.
• Men’s and Women’s Cross Country – For the first time, UK will play host to a cross country regional, with the event set for Masterson Station Park on Nov. 12, 2021.