This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Des Moines will play host to the first and second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2019. The NCAA released the sites for its 2019-2022 men’s basketball tournaments Tuesday and Des Moines made the cut.

The dates for the tournament hosted in Des Moines are March 21 & 23.

The bid that was submitted has Drake University playing host school, which could allow Iowa, Iowa State, and UNI a bit of home court advantage if they qualify for the tournament.

During an update on construction for the new hotel attached to the Iowa Events Center back in January Vicki Comegys, VP of Conventions, Sports, and Services for the Iowa Events Center, told Channel 13 she was optimistic about the city’s chances to be included as a site for the tournament.

“I feel really good about the bid for the tournament. I think April is going to be a happy time for us,” Comegys said.

Des Moines hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in the spring of 2016.