PHOENIX – With college basketball season officially underway, nearly 12,000 third graders across Arizona tipped off their own statewide competition on Monday with a big goal: to read their way to the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Final Four in Phoenix.
Read to the Final Four® presented by Helios Education Foundation is a free literacy challenge that invites third-grade classrooms to compete in a March Madness–style tournament, advancing through rounds based on the average number of minutes read.
Third grade is a critical year in a child’s education – a time when students transition from learning to read to reading to learn. By pairing literacy goals with the excitement of college basketball, Read to the Final Four helps students form positive associations with reading while strengthening key skills for long-term success.
HOW IT WORKS
The first phase of competition, the qualifying round, runs from Nov. 3 to Dec. 14. On Jan. 14, 2026, the top 68 schools across Arizona will advance to a tournament bracket. From there, the field will narrow each week:
- Feb. 11: Top 32 schools
- Feb. 18: Top 16 schools
- Feb. 25: Top 8 schools
The top four schools with the highest average number of minutes read will be announced the week of March 2. Those four schools will be celebrated on Thursday, April 2 at Tourney Town presented by Capital One in the Phoenix Convention Center, and one champion school will be awarded a grand prize of $5,000 to support reading, literacy or library programs. Each of the three runner-up schools will be awarded $2,500. Throughout the competition, students can earn prizes and free books as they foster a lifelong love of reading and build excitement for one of college sports’ most anticipated events.
READ TO THE FINAL FOUR LAUNCH EVENT
More than 900 third graders from the Pendergast Elementary School District packed the Pendergast Community Center on Oct. 24 for a pep rally that served as the ceremonial tipoff to the 2025-26 reading competition. Special guests included Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego; Molly Miller, head coach of ASU women’s basketball; Dr. Jennifer Cruz, superintendent of the Pendergast Elementary School District; Barbara Ryan Thompson, executive vice president & COO of Helios Education Foundation; and Jay Parry, CEO of the Phoenix Final Four Local Organizing Committee.
“Phoenix is proud to host the 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four, and programs like Read to the Final Four make that excitement even more meaningful for families across Phoenix,” Mayor Gallego said. “I’ve seen firsthand how the right spark can inspire a lifelong love of reading. This challenge motivates students to believe in themselves, cheer each other on, and be part of something bigger.”
“Over the past few years, I’ve had the joy of watching our students take part in this reading challenge and seeing their enthusiasm for books come to life,” said Dr. Cruz. “We’ve noticed a real increase in excitement around reading across our classrooms, and we’re thrilled to have all 12 Pendergast schools participating this year. This initiative is a wonderful way to celebrate literacy, teamwork, and the joy of learning.”
“At Helios Education Foundation, we believe that proficient reading by the end of third grade is a critical indicator of a child’s future success,” said Thompson. “For this, we’re proud to once again support the Read to the Final Four challenge. Together with the NCAA and the Phoenix Final Four Local Organizing Committee, we’re inspiring thousands of Arizona third graders to discover the joy of reading and build a lifelong love of learning.”
BUILDING ON ARIZONA’S LITERACY LEGACY
Read to the Final Four was first introduced to Arizona by the Phoenix Local Organizing Committee during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four. It returned when the Men’s Final Four came back to Arizona in 2024, and now, leading into the 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four, the program is reaching more students than ever. To date, Arizona’s programs have engaged more than 58,000 third graders across the state, resulting in 44 million minutes read.
“Read to the Final Four shows how the power of sport can inspire young people and spark positive change,” said Parry. “When students bring excitement and teamwork to reading, it creates momentum that extends across schools, families, and communities. That’s what makes this program so meaningful for our state.” The 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four will take place at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, with the national semifinals on Friday, April 3, and the championship game on Sunday, April 5.
ABOUT THE PHOENIX FINAL FOUR LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
The Phoenix Local Organizing Committee (PLOC) is a non-profit organization responsible for hosting the 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four. In collaboration with the NCAA, Arizona State University, Player 15 Group and key community stakeholders, the PLOC is committed to delivering a world-class championship experience. Its work includes organizing ancillary events, supporting community legacy initiatives, and ensuring that the Women’s Final Four leaves a lasting, positive impact across Arizona. The 2026 Women’s Final Four will take place at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., with the national semifinals on Friday, April 3, and the championship game on Sunday, April 5.
ABOUT THE NCAA
The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for more than half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year. Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola as official corporate champions and the following elite companies as official corporate partners: Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, Geico, Great Clips, The Home Depot, Intuit TurboTax, Invesco, LG, Marriott Bonvoy, Nabisco, Nissan, Pizza Hut, Reese’s, Samsung, Unilever and Wendy’s.
ABOUT HELIOS EDUCATION FOUNDATION
Helios Education Foundation exists to support postsecondary attainment for all students, with a focus on low-income and historically underrepresented communities, in Arizona and Florida. For more than 20 years, and driven by our fundamental beliefs of community, equity, investment, and partnership, Helios has invested more than $350 million in partnerships and initiatives focused on improving education outcomes in the two states we serve. Learn more at helios.org.
