NCAA unveils 2023 Women’s Final Four Logo for Dallas
The NCAA revealed the logo for the 2023 Women’s Final Four set to be held in Dallas. The logo represents “many of the iconic features and colors representative of Dallas” according to the organization. Beginning March 31 of that year, all three NCAA women’s basketball national championships will be held in a 48-hour span at the American Airlines Center. The NCAA will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX during the 2022-23 season.
From the NCAA:
The 2023 Women’s Final Four, which will decide the Division I national champion, will tip off Friday, March 31 with two national semifinal games, while the national championship game will be played Sunday, April 2. The title games of the Division II and III Women’s Basketball Championship will both be played Saturday, April 1. It will be the second time that all three women’s basketball divisions will crown a national champion in the same city, matching what took place in Indianapolis in 2016. The Big 12 Conference and Dallas Sports Commission will serve as co-hosts for the Women’s Final Four.
Dallas and the American Airlines Center hosted the Women’s Final Four one other time, in 2017, when South Carolina claimed the school’s first championship, outlasting Mississippi State 67-55 in the national title game. It was also a Women’s Final Four that included one of the biggest upsets in women’s basketball history, as Mississippi State ended UConn’s historic 111-game winning streak in the national semifinals. Junior guard Morgan William’s jumper at the overtime buzzer gave the Bulldogs a 66-64 win that also ended UConn’s 28-game NCAA tournament winning streak.
“The 2023 championships in Dallas will truly be a celebration of women in sport and women’s basketball, as we will crown national champions in all three divisions while this historic event will culminate the NCAA’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX,” said Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president of women’s basketball. “We look forward to working with our hosts, the Big 12 Conference and the Dallas Sports Commission, in creating a memorable experience for all involved.”
Designed by Section 127 in Indianapolis, the logo’s color palette was inspired by the color and bright lights of the Dallas skyline at night. The 2023 Women’s Final Four logo includes an exterior star shape that was inspired by the Texas and Dallas flags. Four stars represent the four teams competing in the Final Four and their path in the tournament. Basketball and the bottom structure of the logo mimic Reunion Tower, one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, and known to locals as “The Ball.” Star elements inside the mark also mimic the architectural structure of Reunion Tower and skyscraper lights that can been throughout Dallas. The bracket in the logo provides a March Madness reminder and ties in the path to the championship.
“With its bright colors and uniquely Dallas design, this logo reflects the energy and excitement with which our city will embrace this event,” said Monica Paul, executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission. “Dallas is a premier sports destination, and we look forward to welcoming college basketball fans again to our city to celebrate the premier women’s championship.”
