The NCAA announced a number of sites for future championships on Wednesday.

The Times Union Center in Albany was selected to host the 2015 Division I Women's Basketball Regional and the 2016 Division I Men's Hockey first round.

"We're going to put on two excellent events for local fans in men's hockey and women's basketball," Times Union Center general manager Bob Belber told The Record.

Belber announced in August that the arena would be bidding for these events

The arena announced back in May that the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament is returning to Albany in 2015.

The women's tournament will be the first NCAA event in women's basketball to be played in Albany and will be hosted by the MAAC and Siena.

.@SienaAD: "I know #SienaSaints basketball fans will enjoy seeing NCAA Tournament basketball played in Albany on our home court next March."
— Siena Saints (@SienaSaints) December 11, 2013

"The 2015 NCAA Women's Basketball Regional is a landmark sporting event for the Capital Region," said Siena College director of athletics John D'Argenio, in a release. "The bid process was more competitive than ever. The NCAA selected Times Union Center because of the great fans in the area, and first class job Siena, the Arena and MAAC have done hosting NCAA Championships in the past. I know Siena basketball fans will enjoy seeing NCAA Tournament basketball played in Albany on our home court." 

The event should be a big one, as the team to emerge from Albany, will be headed to the Final Four.

Congrats to Albany, Greensboro, Oklahoma City and Sacramento on hosting the 2015 Regionals! #ncaaHost pic.twitter.com/ca6LAGNBrB
— NCAA Women's BKB (@NCAAWomensBKB) December 11, 2013

Full lists of the sites selected for NCAA competitions can be found here. 

This weekend was a busy one for local college sports teams.

It was University at Albany coach Bob Ford's final home game. The Great Danes lost to New Hampshire, but that was only part of the story.

To the left is a picture page from Coach Ford's final game in the city of Albany.

Also in college football, RPI reclaimed the Dutchman Shoes, by beating Union, 31-28.

The Union/RPI rivalry didn't stop at football. The Skating Dutchmen extracted some revenge for their school, sweeping the Engineers in two game.

The Saint Rose women's soccer team advanced to the Sweet 16 for an incredible ninth straight year, defeating Adelphi on Sunday. 

Also, the Saint Rose men's basketball team defeated Felician.

In college basketball, Siena nearly pulled off a huge upset against La Salle, a program that reached the Sweet 16 last season.

UAlbany lost its first game of the season, falling at Quinnipiac on Saturday.

Columnist Steve Amedio writes about the UAlbany women's basketball team, which is coming off possibly the biggest victory in school history, knocking off perennial power Marist.

Below is Ford addressing the crowd following his final home game after 44 years as the program's head coach. 

Union falls 2-0 to Minnesota-Duluth in the first round of the men's hockey NCAA tournament.

New Haven Register