Harvard and Northeastern will serve as the host schools of the event. The support of the two universities was crucial to bringing the event to Boston.

“[Harvard] and Northeastern will help coordinate the event and provide people, operations and local expertise to help make the event run smoothly,” said Assistant Director of Athletics for Sports Media Relations John Veneziano. “There’s a lot more than the games being played that makes these events possible.”

Harvard Senior Associate Director of Athletics Patricia Henry and Northeastern Senior Associate Director Jody Mooradian were the co-chairs of the commiteee that presented the successful Boston bid to NCAA officials on July 4.

The Women’s Final Four is the latest major event to be brought to the state by the Massachusetts Sports Partnership. In recent years, the state has landed the U.S. Olympic Gymnastic Trials, the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four, the Major League All-Star Game, the Ryder Cup and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

The magnitude of the Women’s Final Four will provide local institutions with a unique opportunity to support the women’s game.

“We’ve been working hard to make basketball exciting to everyone,” Delaney-Smith said. “This will keep thinking about women’s basketball in anticipation.”

Boston’s successful bid comes just days after NCAA women’s basketball’s landmark 11-year television deal with ESPN. As part of the deal, ESPN will cover all 63 games of the women’s basketball tournament and enhance its promotional campaign of the sport.