Kansas City, Mo. ? The new Sprint Center will be the site for first- and second-round NCAA men’s basketball tournament games in 2009.

Other first- and second-round sites in 2009: Philadelphia, Miami, Minneapolis, Portland, Ore., Greensboro, N.C. and Spokane, Wash.

The opening-round game will remain at Dayton, Ohio, which also will also host first- and second-round games in 2009. The Final Four will be at Detroit.

In 2010, the tournament committee unanimously approved a first weekend return to New Orleans. It’s the second time since Hurricane Katrina the tournament will be played in New Orleans, a longtime host of Final Fours.

“Nothing more strongly illustrates our support of the area than to assure New Orleans regularly hosts rounds … when possible,” committee chairman Craig Littlepage said.

Other 2010 sites are: Providence, R.I.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Oklahoma City; Milwaukee; San Jose, Calif.; Boise, Idaho and Buffalo, N.Y.

The regionals in 2010 will be played at Syracuse, N.Y., St. Louis, Salt Lake City and Houston. The Final Four is in Indianapolis.

Kansas City will be a regional women’s tourney site in 2010 with Dayton, Ohio; Memphis, Tenn.; and Sacramento, Calif.

In 2009, St. Louis will be the site for the NCAA women’s Final Four, an event that was at the Savvis Center in 2001. The city hosted the men’s Final Four in 2005. The Edward Jones Dome was also home to regionals in 2001 and 2004.