ARLINGTON – The men’s Final Four basketball championship will return to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 2014 after a 28-year absence.

The NCAA announced this morning that the new $1.1 billion Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington will host one of the nation's premier sporting events. The area last hosted a Final Four tournament in 1986 at Reunion Arena, which is set to be demolished next year.

The other winning bidders were New Orleans, Atlanta, Houston and Indianapolis, home of the NCAA headquarters.

The new Cowboys stadium, which is still under construction and opens in 2009, will now host three of the nation’s largest team sporting events in its first few years. Last month, the NBA announced that it would hold its 2010 All-Star Game at the Cowboys stadium, and the site has already been selected for the 2011 Super Bowl.

Officials from the Cowboys, Big 12 Conference and regional officials active in the Super Bowl bid made a presentation last week to the 10-member NCAA committee in Indianapolis. There were 10 cities or regions bidding for the Final Fours held from 2012 to 2016.

The bids from Detroit, Minneapolis, Phoenix/Glendale, San Antonio and St. Louis were rejected.