The Final Four is a sight to behold, a must-do on any sports fan's list, but there are some things you might not have thought about. But we have. And we're going to share five things every fan should know about the Final Four before signing up for this one-of-a-kind college hoops pilgrimage.
1. It's no longer a difficult ticket to score. Of course, that depends a little on your definition of difficult. With the advent of secondary market web sites
such as StubHub and Razor-Gator (the NCAA's official secondary ticket provider), finding tickets to the Final Four is only a mouse-click away. A couple clicks later, though, you'll be asked to pay. How much? Much. Last check on
RazorGator placed tickets -- good for all three games -- for this year's Final Four between $364 and
$11,182; StubHub had distant view seats for $230 and courtside for as much as (gulp) $44,448.
2. You can simply hang out for the weekend and then see the final. The most curious thing about the Final Four is that folks have all-session tickets but choose to go home immediately if their team loses in the semis. Why they don't stay for the championship game and enjoy the party is anyone's guess -- but better not to plant that idea when you're lingering outside the dome and looking to buy the tickets they're eager to dump.
3. Prime hotel rooms can be more difficult to find than tickets. The various groups affiliated with the event -- teams, coaches, administrators, the media -- swallow up the majority of the best hotels close to the arena. Even discount chains will fill with fans who plan ahead and are willing to pay inflated rates. One option is to stay in a nearby city. This year, Hotwire.com has offered rooms in Austin (80 miles from San Antonio) as an alternative to sleeping outdoors on the Riverwalk (not a good idea).
4. Reservations at the good restaurants go quickly. There are hundreds of coaches and athletic administrators in town -- armed with expense accounts. If you wish to have a steak at a decent restaurant, it will help to plan ahead.
5. More than half the fun happens outside the dome. If you love the game, you will be surrounded by people who share that passion. Some will be famous, including various coaches and players who don't make the Final Four and stars attracted by the scale of the event. Vince Vaughn, Jamie Foxx and Kevin Costner have showed up in recent years. You might bump into someone like that. Or you might have a great meal, a nice drink and a compelling basketball argument while you search for someone like that.
This article is from Mike DeCourcy. See more at the SportingNews.com
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