Friday, October 4, 2024 (CALGARY, AB) – The University of Calgary Dinos have been selected to host the 2026 men's basketball Final 8 championship, U SPORTS announced Friday.
The Dinos – which claimed the U SPORTS title in 2018 – will welcome the eight best teams in Canada to the Jack Simpson Gym March 5-8, 2026, marking the fifth time Calgary will play host to the event and the first since 1980. Calgary also previously hosted in 1966, 1967 and 1979.
"The sport of basketball has had a significant resurgence in Calgary and the surrounding area over the last several years, and we are thrilled to bring the men's Final 8 back to our city," Calgary Director of Athletics Ben Matchett said. "It's fitting that the first time UCalgary hosted this championship was in 1966, the year we gained autonomy. We have the opportunity to celebrate our 60th anniversary with the men's basketball championship back on campus. We aim to make this a showcase event for the basketball community with our partners at Tourism Calgary and the City of Calgary."
Calgary has qualified for the U SPORTS men's basketball championship 13 times prior in program history and finished one game away from a Final 8 berth a season ago.
"After a 46-year absence, U SPORTS is excited to bring our national men's basketball championship back to Calgary," said U SPORTS Chief Executive Officer Pierre Arsenault. "The University of Calgary has a history of hosting outstanding U SPORTS championships, and with the engagement of the City of Calgary and Tourism Calgary, we know that the 2026 men's basketball Final 8 will be an outstanding event for participating teams and fans."
The Dinos are led by head coach Dan Vanhooren, who enters his 24th season leading the program. Vanhooren has guided Calgary to the U SPORTS Final 8 a total of eight times thus far, including a run of five seasons in a row from 2016-20 that was headlined by the program's lone national championship banner in 2018.
"The deep tradition of the U SPORTS men's basketball Final 8 championship is extraordinary," Vanhooren said. "From various hosts in the early years to a long-lasting stay in Halifax, the tournament has grown and generated support from many of Canada's great cities. We are honoured to have been trusted to host the Final 8 once more. Basketball in the city of Calgary is growing at an enormous rate, and the men's basketball national tournament will provide many opportunities for young players to experience our sport at one of the highest levels in Canada and spend time on the University of Calgary campus. Our hope is to provide a great experience for our fans, grow the game, collaborate with our community, engage our alumni, and provide a memorable experience for the participating athletes."
"We are beyond excited to welcome the 2026 U SPORTS Men's Basketball Final 8 Championships to Calgary," Tourism Calgary Senior Vice President of Sales Carson Ackroyd said. "Calgary and Southern Alberta have a massive basketball fan base that will be blown away by the excitement of this championship. Our city is extremely excited to welcome players and fans from across Canada to Calgary to experience high-level basketball and world-renowned hospitality."
This year's Final 8 event will be hosted by UBC in Vancouver, while U SPORTS announced last week that the 2027 championship will once again be hosted by Dalhousie in Halifax.
-UC-