TOP 68 SCHOOLS IN READ TO THE FINAL FOUR CONTEST ADVANCE TO CHALLENGE BRACKET

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Final Four Local Organizing Committee announced on Wednesday the top 68 schools advancing to the Challenge Bracket in Read to the Final Four®, a statewide literacy competition affiliated with the 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four.

Read to the Final Four, presented by Helios Education Foundation, is a free literacy challenge that encourages Arizona third graders to build strong reading habits through a bracket-style competition based on the average number of minutes read per week.

Third grade marks a critical stage in literacy development, as students transition from learning to read to reading to learn.

Since the competition’s launch on Nov. 3, 2025, 190 schools and 12,082 third-grade students across Arizona have logged a combined 10.1 million minutes read to date.

The top 68 schools will now compete in the Read to the Final Four Challenge Bracket, while an additional 122 schools have advanced from the qualifying round to the program’s Best of the Rest bracket.

What’s Next: Dates and Prizes

The Read to the Final Four Challenge Bracket field will narrow as follows:

• Feb. 4: Round of 32 schools
• Feb. 11: Sweet Sixteen schools
• Feb. 18: Elite Eight schools

The Final Four schools with the highest average number of minutes read per week will be announced the week of Feb. 23. Those four schools will be celebrated on Thursday, April 2 at 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. Schools advancing to the Best of the Rest bracket may receive books to support their school libraries and literacy programs.

Read to the Final Four is free and open to public schools statewide. The NCAA launched the program in 2016 and has continued it annually in collaboration with Final Four host communities.

Building on Arizona’s Literacy Legacy

Read to the Final Four was first introduced in Arizona during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four and returned in 2024, with the program now reaching more students than ever ahead of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four. Since its introduction, Read to the Final Four has engaged more than 70,000 third graders statewide, resulting in 54 million minutes read.

Quotes

“Communities that host the Women’s Final Four create lasting memories for student-athletes competing on the biggest stage of their collegiate career and for the fans who travel to support them,” said Lynn Holzman, NCAA Vice President of Women’s Basketball. “The NCAA is committed to giving back in meaningful ways and Read to the Final Four is a perfect example – using this championship to inspire young students and promote educational growth through a fun, engaging competition.”

“We are thrilled to celebrate the achievement of the Top 68 schools advancing in the Read to the Final Four challenge,” said Paul J. Luna, President and CEO of Helios Education Foundation. “This year’s students have truly shown how the love of reading can unite and inspire young minds. We wish all the schools continued success as the reading competition progresses.”

“Third grade is a pivotal year for literacy development and Read to the Final Four gives students a fun, motivating way to build lifelong reading habits,” said Jay Parry, CEO of the Phoenix Final Four Local Organizing Committee. “We’re proud of the thousands of students across Arizona who have embraced this challenge and grateful to our partners who help make this program possible. Events like the NCAA Women’s Final Four bring meaningful, lasting impact for our communities.”

Top 68 Schools Advancing to Read to the Final Four Challenge Bracket

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 www.ncaa.org and www.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.