November 11, 2008
Still looking for more Final Fours

Back in January, a Houston delegation set out to lure more NCAA Men's Final Four events to our fair city. They're still working on it now.


Local organizers behind Houston's bid to bring another Final Four to Reliant Stadium will make their presentation [today] to the NCAA Division I men's basketball committee in Indianapolis.

Houston is one of 10 finalists vying to host a men's Final Four between 2012 and 2016. Houston is competing against Atlanta, Detroit, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Phoenix, St. Louis and the North Texas region. The NCAA decided to keep a larger pool of finalists and did not eliminate any cities after the preliminary rounds.

"There is a lot of tough competition," said Shea Guinn, the president of SMG-Reliant Park. "There is definitely no shortage of interested cities for the NCAA."

Houston is one of the newest players in the men's NCAA Tournament. It hosted the South Regional in March and will again in 2010. Reliant Stadium will host the Final Four in 2011, the 40th anniversary of the city's first Final Four at the Astrodome.

Guinn said Reliant Stadium has the ability to host any year during the next five-year cycle. But with the unlikelihood of getting another Final Four so close to 2011, Houston plans to make bids for 2014, 2015 and 2016.

After Tuesday's one-hour presentation, the NCAA is expected to make a decision on the host sites by Nov. 20.


I wish them better luck than they had for the Women's Final Four.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on November 11, 2008 to Other sports
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