Tulane University will be the host school, and New Orleans will be the host city, for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four in 2012.

“We are elated with the decision. This is such an important milestone, as sports continue to be an integral aspect in the resurgence of this great city,” said Rick Dickson, Tulane Athletic Director and leader of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC). “I am very proud of our LOC and the tireless efforts they put forth to attain this outcome. They are to be saluted. This was a true team effort and this LOC was unique in that for the first time the Sugar Bowl and the New Orleans Saints joined us. I also want to thank the NCAA men’s basketball committee and NCAA staff who recognized these efforts not only on the part of our LOC but also on the community,” said Dickson.

In addition to Dickson, the LOC included former Tulane Board chair John Koerner, Chairman; Tulane President Scott Cowen, Honorary Chairman, and members Jay Cicero, GNO Sports Foundation; Doug Thornton, SMG; Paul Hoolahan, Sugar Bowl; Stephen Perry, Convention & Visitors Bureau; Courtney Bagneris, City of New Orleans; Bob Johnson, Morial Convention Center; and Mickey Loomis, New Orleans Saints. Also, Saints owner and executive vice president Rita Benson LeBlanc, with Saints vice president of marketing Ben Hales, actively participated in the bid process.

The NCAA decision comes as a vote of confidence in New Orleans and its resurrection after Hurricane Katrina.

“This is a good example for the rest of the community,” Dickson added. “It’s how we rebuild ourselves, by coming together. When we come together, we can do great things.” He credited the work of the 75-person Local Organizing Committee with the success of the New Orleans bid.

In October 2008, NCAA officials did a site check of the potential host cities. A four-person team visited New Orleans and reviewed the Louisiana Superdome, site for the 2012 championship, as well as the Convention Center, local hotels and venues for ancillary events. Dickson led a New Orleans team to Indianapolis last week to do a presentation to the full selection committee.

The NCAA had received bid proposals from Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New Orleans, North Texas, Phoenix/Glendale, Ariz., San Antonio and St. Louis.

New Orleans previously hosted the event in the Superdome in 1982, 1987, 1993 and 2003.

In the NCAA press release, Mike Slive, Division I Men’s Basketball Committee chair, said, “The city’s overall recovery efforts as well as the extensive renovations to the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina make it sensible for us to return the Final Four to New Orleans once again. We believe this award serves as another important step in the recovery process.”

The NCAA has also named New Orleans as host city for the 2013 Division I Women’s Final Four, with the University of New Orleans as the host institution.