April 18, 2017 PITTSBURGH - Duquesne University has been selected to host both the 2019 Women's Volleyball Championship as well as 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship First and Second Round games it was announced today. Duquesne will partner with SportsPITTSBURGH in hosting the first women's volleyball championship to be awarded in Pittsburgh. Both championship events - volleyball on Dec. 19-21, 2019 and basketball on Mar. 18 & 20, 2022 - will be held at Pittsburgh's PPG Paints Arena.

The announcement marks the fourth time in 11 years that PPG Paints Arena will serve as a host venue and sixth time the City of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University have been chosen to host the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. Duquesne hosted the NCAA Men's First/Second Round in 1997 & 2002, the re-named Second/Third Round in 2012 & 2015 and will host First/Second Round games again in March of 2018. DU also hosted the NCAA Women's East Regional at Mellon Arena in 2001.

"We are grateful to once again have the opportunity to partner with the City of Pittsburgh and PPG Paints Arena in bringing NCAA championship events to our hometown," said Duquesne Director of Athletics Dave Harper of the men's championship. "We look forward to helping create a memorable experience for the participating student-athletes, as well as staging events that will continue to enhance Pittsburgh's hard-earned reputation as the best sports town in the United States."

In addition, the NCAA announced that Duquesne's campus will provide facilities for the Division III Women's Volleyball Championship (hosted by Saint Vincent & SportsPITTSBURGH at A.J. Palumbo Center) on Nov. 15-17, 2018, the Division II Fall Festival Nov. 25 through Dec. 1, 2018 - which includes the Women's Field Hockey Championship on Rooney Field and the women's volleyball championship at A.J. Palumbo Center (hosted by Slippery Rock & SportsPITTSBURGH) and the Division III Women's Basketball Championship on March 18-19, 2022 at A.J. Palumbo Center (hosted by the Presidents Athletic Conference & SportsPITTSBURGH).

"This is a testament to the coordinated effort and commitment from facilities, academic institutions and city leadership to bring championship events to western Pennsylvania, said Harper. "The NCAA has clearly recognized that Pittsburgh will support championship events on all levels."

DUQUESNE AS AN NCAA HOST

1997 - Men's Basketball
First & Second Rounds - Civic Arena
2001 - Women's Basketball
East Regional - Mellon Arena
2002 - Men's Basketball
First & Second Rounds - Mellon Arena
2012 - Men's Basketball
Second & Third Rounds - CONSOL Energy Center
2015 - Men's Basketball
Second & Third Rounds - CONSOL Energy Center
2018 - Men's Basketball
First & Second Rounds - PPG Paints Arena
2019 - Women's Volleyball
Championship - PPG Paints Arena
2022 - Men's Basketball
First & Second Rounds - PPG Paints Arena (Mar. 18 & 20, 2022)

In addition, Duquesne University facilities have and will host the following NCAA Division II & Division III Championships:

2018 - D-III Women's Volleyball - A.J. Palumbo Center
Championship
Host: Saint Vincent & SportsPITTSBURGH

Fall Festival
2018 - D-II Women's Field Hockey - Rooney Field
Championship
Host: Slippery Rock & SportsPITTSBURGH

Fall Festival
2018 - D-II Women's Volleyball - A.J. Palumbo Center
Championship
Host: Slippery Rock & SportsPITTSBURGH

2022 - D-III Women's Basketball - A.J. Palumbo Center
Championship (Mar. 18-19, 2022)
Host: Presidents Athletic Conference & SportsPITTSBURGH

DUQUESNE AS NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL HOST HIGHLIGHTS
The '97 First/Second Round games - which marked the first NCAA tournament games played in Pittsburgh - sent Louisville and Texas to the Sweet 16. The six tournament games, including 15th-seeded Coppin State's 78-65 first round upset of No. 2 South Carolina and two second round games that were decided by one point each, were played before sellout crowds at the then-Civic Arena.

Pittsburgh was the second opening round site to sell out in 2002, the first year the NCAA adopted its "pod" system. The hometown University of Pittsburgh and UCLA both advanced to the Sweet 16 from the newly renamed Mellon Arena. UCLA's memorable 105-101 double-overtime win over No. 1 seed Cincinnati in the second round was the highest-scoring game of the 2002 Championship.

The 2012 event - the first at CONSOL Energy Center - drew 56,928 fans for the three tournament sessions (six total games) as Ohio State and Syracuse moved on to regional play from the eight-team field. The opening day second session crowd of 19,413 was the largest for any indoor arena event in Pittsburgh history.

In 2015, North Carolina State and Notre Dame emerged from a Pittsburgh site that also included Butler, Lafayette, LSU, Northeastern, Texas and Villanova.