Logo for 2019 NCAA Final Four in Minneapolis unveiled

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Minnesota gearing up to host the Super Bowl in less than two months, but that's not the only major sporting event coming to the Twin Cities. The NCAA men’s basketball Final Four will be in Minneapolis in 2019.

While the games won’t be played for another 16 months, local Final Four organizers and the NCAA unveiled the 2019 logo at Minneapolis’ North Commons Recreation Center.

“It is such a tremendous event,” said Bernard Muir, the athletic director of Stanford University. “An iconic event for NCAA. Certainly something we cherish.”

The metro, which is currently gearing up for a Super Bowl at U.S. Bank Stadium in February gets another showcase sporting event soon after. Friday morning’s event was the tip-off to more than a year of hoops hysteria and Governor Mark Dayton wasn’t going to miss it.

“This is such an exciting event for all on Minnesota,” said Dayton. “Certainly the metro area economically. It brings anywhere from $80 million to $200 million to the region plus national and even worldwide attention.”

Legendary Duke Coach Mike Kryzewski, who has already won two national titles in Minnesota at the old Metrodome, sent a video message to the gathered crowd. 

“Minneapolis really is a basketball city,” said Kryzewski.

The audience also got a look at a slick new marketing video for the 2019 Final Four. The University of Minnesota Head Coach Richard Pitino joked he knows what his Gophers need to do now.

“I’d also like to thank you for putting more pressure on me to get to the Final Four,” said Pitino. “They’re easy to come by.”

This will be the fourth time Minneapolis hosts the Final Four, the most recent coming during Duke's title run in 2001. Much like the Super Bowl, there will be all sorts of community events, activities and concerts to celebrate the 2019 Final Four beyond the basketball games themselves.