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NCAA Women’s and Men’s Basketball Final Fours: March 31 - April 3, 2023

Press Release Number CB23-SFS.44

Women’s Final Four: March 31 and April 2, 2023
Men’s Final Four: April 1 and 3, 2023

According to the Library of Congress, the first college basketball game was played on January 18, 1896.

“In December 1891, Canadian-born James Naismith, a physical education teacher at the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) training school, took a soccer ball and a peach basket and in the gym invented basketball. In 1893, he replaced the peach basket with iron hoops and a hammock-style basket. Ten years later came the open-ended nets of today. Before that, you had to retrieve your ball from the basket every time you scored.

“In 1963, college games were first broadcast on national TV, but it wasn't until the 1980s that sports fans ranked basketball up there with football and baseball. It's a popular neighborhood sport, too. The next time you shoot hoops with your family or friends, you can tell them how it all got started.”

Key Stats

Source: Vintage 2021 Population Estimates.

Note: Click on the image for the full graphic. 

Note: Click on the image for the full graphic. 

More Stats

From the Library:

From QuickFacts: statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more.

NCAA 2023 Women’s Final Four team hometowns and host site:  

NCAA 2023 Men’s Final Four team hometowns and host site:  

Note: Census Designated Place (CDP) definition: Statistical counterpart of incorporated places, delineated to provide data for settled concentrations of population identifiable by name but not legally incorporated under the laws of the state in which they are located. CDPs are delineated cooperatively by state and local officials and the Census Bureau, following Census Bureau guidelines.

*Source: 2020 Census

From Business and Economy  >  International Trade Data:

Note: Once you create an account, select options for “Harmonized System (HS)” or “HS.” Select “Exports” or “Imports.” Type “basketball" in the "Commodity" search box. Then select options for geography and time. Select “Report” for data. More information can be found in the Quick Start Guide.

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Page Last Revised - March 30, 2023
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