Venues

NCAA Tournament Travel Guide & Venue Review

Joe Connor — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 10:24:01 -0400

While 65 teams initially take part in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, aka March Madness, only one will be crowned 2008-2009 national champions on April 6 in downtown Detroit – at Ford Field.

That’s right – at “a field.” And in April.

Ah, yes, while most of the Madness still takes place in March, gone are the days when the tournament took place in basketball-only venues. This year, some teams on “The Road to the Final Four” will play at the usual confines of a baseball domed-stadium (the Metrodome in Minneapolis) while others will partake in a gigantic, almost monolith edifice you could fit multiple 747 airplanes inside (Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona).

A total of seven sites make their March Madness debuts, and, of course, only one is within walking distance of the heart of a college campus! All told, of the 13 sites for this year’s Madness, there are three “Arenas,” plus two each of the “Garden,” “Center,” and “Stadium” variety, and one each of a “Coliseum,” “Forum,” “Dome” and, ahem, “Field.” As in a cozy “Fieldhouse?” Well, not exactly.

This year’s epic Final Four site? A field that witnessed zero wins in 2008 by its regular tenant, the NFL’s hapless Detroit Lions. Well, at least zero fans this April will be wearing brown bags over their heads in this humungous place.

But given the down economy and the largesse of some of these venues, just how many Fannies will we see in the seats, and could you take advantage of this buyers market and be one of them?

Airlines, rental car companies, hotels and restaurants all want your business, and are offering great deals. And while “sold out” may be advertised for games, from the Opening Game in Dayton, Ohio, March 17, to the championship game, April 6, a different “market” may be prevalent out front of the venues this year. In short, given the current buyers market, there may never be a better year to plan a March Madness travel adventure than this one.

And what a journey you could have. For starters, six of the 13 venues are true hoops sites with some great history, plus offering terrific atmosphere, sight lines and more. My top six (in no particular order) include Dayton, Philadelphia, Greensboro and Boise, all of which host first and second round games, while Boston and Memphis host regionals.

Dayton’s Blackburn Court might just be the most intimate and historic venue in this year’s tournament, and this place can get rocking. The likes of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Baseball Hall-of-Famer Tony Gwynn (while playing hoops for San Diego State) have been here, not to mention Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Another great basketball town is Philly, home of “The Big 5,” and while the Wachovia Center isn’t the Palestra, it’s still a great venue for college hoops. This will be the first Men’s Madness in the City of Brotherly Love since the famous Grant Hill pass to Christian Laettner for the buzzer beater over Kentucky in the 1992 East Regionals. The 104-103 win sent to the Blue Devils to the Final Four and they eventually ran home with the national title and the hardwood.

Greensboro’s historic Coliseum, not far from the heart of Tobacco Road, also is a first and second round host this year, as is Boise, the site of Tyus Edney’s memorable length of the court run in 1995 that helped the UCLA Bruins stun Missouri in the second round en route to the national title. Boise is also the only on-campus venue in this year’s tourney.

It’s not the original Boston Garden, but TD Banknorth Garden will be the place to be for the East Regional and is a great setting for college basketball, largely because of the fans, and the same holds true for Memphis. Home of this year’s South Regional, the FedEx Forum makes its March Madness debut, replacing The Pyramid which last had the tourney back in 2001.

More newbie’s join the March Madness fray in 2009, creating their own photo albums, with Miami, Kansas City and Portland, Oregon boasting some of the latest, state-of-the-art technology inside their venues, all of which will serve as first and second round hosts.

And then, of course, lastly, there are the four “super-size me” venues of this year’s Madness. The Metrodome in Minneapolis and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis will make nostalgic basketball fans cringe, as there not exactly in the same, intimate throwback class as Williams Arena and Hinkle Fieldhouse, both still in use in Minneapolis and Indianapolis, respectively. Ditto for super-size venues known as the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona and Ford Field in Motown.

Fortunately, Ford Field’s upper deck is a lot lower than most facilities of its size. And unlike its current tenant, the Lions, your attendance will surely result in a quality product being displayed before you and the winning team will take the floor home. As for you, you’ll come home with memories. So start planning your trip and let the Madness begin.

Joe Connor is a freelance writer and super fan, who’s been to every major college hoops venue. He’s the author of “A Fan’s Guide To The Ultimate March Madness Travel Experience,” an online travel planning guide, which is available for purchase exclusively at www.mrsportstravel.com.

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2009 NCAA Tournament Schedule

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:26:14 -0500

Click on "More Info" for venue information, tickets, phone numbers, official websites, and more.

Also check out the NCAA Tournament CBS TV Schedule

Selection Sunday, March 15, 6 p.m. ET (CBS)

Play-In Game: March 17, 7:30 p.m.

Dayton, Ohio

Tickets

Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009

Greensboro, NC

Kansas City, MO

Philadelphia, PA

Portland, OR

Friday and Sunday, March 20 and 22, 2009

Boise, ID

Dayton, OH

Miami, FL

Minneapolis, MN

Regionals: Thursday and Saturday, March 26 and 28, 2009

East Regional

Boston, MA

Tickets

More Info

West Regional

Phoenix, AZ

Tickets

More Info

Regionals: Friday and Sunday, March 27 and 29, 2009

Midwest Regional

Indianapolis, IN

Tickets

More Info

South Regional

Memphis, TN

Tickets

More Info

Final Four: April 4 and 6, 2009

Detroit, MI

Ford Field

Final Four Tickets

Final Four Info

Final Four Seating Chart

Final Four (Ford Field) Directions

Schedule of Final Four Related Events/Activities (besides the games)

2009 NCAA Tournament: March 19-21 Opening Rounds

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:47:38 -0500

First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009

Thursday features two sessions at each venue. These tend to start at noon, but times are not final as of now. Evening sessions are usually at 6pm.

Greensboro Coliseum
Greensboro, North Carolina
Host: Atlantic Coast Conference
Phone: 336/412-6222
E-mail: ncaa.tournament@greensboro-nc.gov

Greensboro Tickets

Sprint Center
Kansas City, Missouri
Host: Big 12 Conference
Phone: 816/949-7000
E-mail: tickets@big12sports.com

Kansas City Tickets

Wachovia Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Host: Saint Joseph's University
Phone: 215/336-3600 (information)
Phone: 215/389-9571 (accessible seating)

Philadelphia Tickets

Rose Garden
Portland, Oregon
Host: University of Oregon
Phone: 503/797-9904
E-mail: portlandhoops09@rosequarter.com

Portland Tickets

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2009 NCAA Tournament

2009 Final Four: Detroit

NCAA Tournament Venues

2009 Final Four Tickets

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:35:43 -0500

CollegeHoops.net's official ticket provider is TicketSolutions.com

Ticket Solutions is one of the oldest and most reputable licensed ticket brokers in the country, selling Final Four tickets, as well as single game tickets and tickets to all other NCAA Tournament games. Ticket Solutions specializes in sold-out games in premier seating—from pre-season to the Final Four—all backed by our unprecedented 200% money back guarantee.

Buy Final Four Tickets Online with Ease

You may purchase a Final Four ticket online at TicketSolutions.com or through a Ticket Solutions representative by telephone at 800-477-5285.

Final Four Ticket Inventory

Event	Date / Time	Location	View Tickets
NCAA - Mens Final Four (Both Days)	4/4/2009 TBA	Ford Field (Detroit, MI)	View Tickets
NCAA - Mens Final Four (Saturday Only)	4/4/2009 TBA	Ford Field (Detroit, MI)	View Tickets
NCAA - Mens Final Four (Monday Only)	4/6/2009 TBA	Ford Field (Detroit, MI)	View Tickets

2009 Final Four tickets will be delivered via Federal Express to the cardholder billing address or available for pick up at our will-call near Ford Field. Please call a Ticket Solutions representative for alternate arrangements. Ticket Solutions guarantees your Final Four tickets!

2009 Final Four: Ford Field Directions

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:26:30 -0500

Directions to Ford Field

FROM SOUTHWEST DETROIT, DOWNRIVER SUBURBS AND TOLEDO
Follow northbound I-75 (Fisher Freeway) and exit at Grand River Avenue (Exit 50). Proceed on the I-75 Service Drive across Grand River and Woodward Avenues. Continue on the Service Drive and turn right on Brush St. Proceed one block, and Ford Field will be on the left.

FROM ANN ARBOR, METRO AIRPORT AND WESTERN SUBURBS
Follow I-94 (Ford Freeway) eastbound to southbound I-75 (Chrysler Freeway) to I-375 and exit at Madison Avenue (exit on the left). Turn right at the first light, St. Antoine St. Proceed one block, and Ford Field will be on the left.

FROM LANSING, NOVI, NORTHERN WAYNE AND WESTERN OAKLAND COUNTY SUBURBS
(From Lansing, Novi area, take I-96 East to I-275 South to continue on I-96 East). Take I-96 East to I-75 (Fisher Freeway) North and exit at Grand River Avenue (Exit 50). Proceed on the I-75 Service Drive across Grand River and Woodward Avenues. Continue on the Service Drive and turn right on Brush St. Proceed one block, and Ford Field will be on the left.

FROM SOUTHFIELD, NORTHWESTERN DETROIT, NORTHERN SUBURBS AND OAKLAND COUNTY
Follow M-10 (Lodge Freeway) South to northbound I-75 (Fisher Freeway) and exit at Grand River Avenue (Exit 50). Proceed on the I-75 Service Drive across Grand River and Woodward Avenues. Continue on the Service Drive and turn right on Brush St. Proceed one block, and Ford Field will be on the left.

FROM PONTIAC, TROY AND NORTHERN DETROIT SUBURBS
Follow southbound I-75 (Chrysler Freeway) to I-375 and exit at Madison Avenue (exit on the left). Turn right at the first light, St. Antoine St. Proceed one block, and Ford Field will be on the left.

FROM PORT HURON, GROSSE POINTE AND EASTERN SUBURBS
Follow I-94 (Ford Freeway) West to I-75 (Chrysler Freeway) South. Follow I-75 South to I-375 and exit at Madison Avenue (exit on the left). Turn right at the first light, St. Antoine St. Proceed one block, and Ford Field will be on the left.

Indianapolis Regional: 2009 NCAA Tournament

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:24:46 -0500

Midwest Regional

Friday & Saturday, March 27 and 29, 2009

Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Indiana
Host: Butler University/Horizon League

Midwest Regional Tickets

Phone: 317/262-3389
E-mail: ticketoffice@iccrd.com

Arena Information

Indianapolis - Lucas Oil Stadium
The brand new, state-of-the-art Lucas Oil Stadium is located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana on South Senate Avenue, only blocks from the RCA Dome, the Colts previous home stadium. The $675 million facility will seat 63,000 people and features a retractable roof and moveable window wall. The stadium will feature two Daktronics high-definition scoreboards at northwest and southeast corners. Each scoreboard is 53 feet tall and 97 feet wide, meaning the fans won't miss any of the action.

Indianapolis will be the home of the 2010 Final Four!

More:

2008 NCAA Tournament

NCAA Tournament Venues

Final Four Info

Final Four Tickets

Final Four 2009: Detroit

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:21:29 -0500

2009 Final Four: Detroit

April 4 and April 6, 2009

Detroit, MI

Ford Field

Tickets - Both Days

Tickets - Semifinals Only

Tickets - Finals Only

On April 4, 2009, Detroit will host America's premier college basketball sporting event - the 2009 NCAA Final Four.

The first men's national semifinal on Saturday, April 4 will begin at approximately 6:00 p.m. (ET). The men's national championship game will air at approximately 9:15 p.m. (ET) on Monday, April 6. Final Four tickets are available now for early purchase and are guaranteed from Ticket Solutions.

Ford Field
2000 Brush Street • Detroit, MI 48226

Located in the heart of downtown Detroit's entertainment district, Ford Field is an industry-leading sports and entertainment development that hosts - in addition to Lions football - sporting events, concerts, banquets, corporate meetings, special events and much more.

The Lions' home is an incomparable 65,000-seat facility that includes a giant glass wall, revealing the picturesque Detroit skyline, and the old Hudson's Warehouse, originally built in 1920. The massive project encompasses a total of 1.85 million square feet of development. For the Final Four, a minimum of 70,000 seats are available.

The old Hudson's Warehouse, a major cornerstone of Ford Field, houses most of the stadium luxury seats, press box, restaurants, food courts, lounge areas, banquet facilities, entertainment venues and commercial space. The inclusion of the warehouse into the stadium project allows the sightlines at Ford Field to be among the very best in the NFL. In fact, the locker room facilities have been built in the basement of the seven-story historic Detroit structure.

The stadium has been utilized for many non-sports events as well. Detroit native Eminem hosted two concerts in July 2003 that drew nearly 100,000 people to the venue. It hosted its first big concert on October 12, 2002 when the legendary band, the Rolling Stones, performed.

Ford Field Seating Chart & Parking Info

Directions to Ford Field

HTML clipboard

Other Final Four Activities

Schedule: Hoop City, Practices, Etc.

Detroit

Between the Games: Things to do and sites to see

More:

2009 NCAA Tournament

NCAA Tournament: Other Venues

2009 Final Four Info on Wikipedia

Official 2009 Final Four Website

Note: The 2010 Final Four will be in Indianapolis. See All Future Final Four Sites.

Ford Field: Final Four Seating Chart

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:17:46 -0500

Ticket Solutions is your full service source for buying tickets to the Ford Field for the Final Four or any other concert or sporting event. You may purchase Final Four tickets through our online box office at TicketSolutions.com or through a Ticket Solutions representative by telephone at 800-477-5285.

Final Four Tickets

Ford Field
200 Brush Street • Detroit, Michigan 48226

Parking
There are numerous privately-owned parking lots surrounding Ford Field that operate public parking on a first come, first serve basis.

Detroit Final Four: Other Things to Do

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:14:10 -0500

The American landscape was literally transformed by the ingenuity of Detroit, birthplace of the automobile and the Motown sound. The Motor City has been slower to rebound from the urban blight that plagued so many U.S. cities in the '70s and '80s, but there is no doubt that Detroit is in the throes of a rebirth. Vacant downtown buildings are quickly being replaced by new sports stadiums, posh hotels, casinos, and unique eateries. Add a renewed focus on the arts--such as the city's historic theater district--and you'll understand why Detroiters feel optimistic about their city's future. And why travelers are coming back.

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
315 East Warren Avenue • Detroit, MI 48201 • 313.494.5800
In the mid-1800s, Detroit was a key stop on the Underground Railroad, through which thousands of slaves escaped to Canada. This and other aspects of African-American heritage, from African roots through slavery to civil rights struggles, are celebrated at the world's largest museum of African and African-American history and culture.

Detroit Historical Museum
5401 Woodward Avenue • Detroit, MI 48202 • 313.833.1805
Begin your exploration of Detroit with this repository of the city's history. You can walk a re-created cobblestone and brick street lined with 19th-century shops, and check out the two-story assembly line in the Motor City exhibit. Interactive displays entertain children of all ages.

Detroit Zoo
8450 West Ten Mile Road • Royal Oak, MI 48068 • 248.398.0900
The Detroit Zoo is one of the finest in the nation. Its newest addition, the Arctic Ring of Life, includes the world's largest polar bear exhibit. Visitors can watch frolicking polar bears and seals through a 70-foot-long underwater Polar Passage. Other highlights include the world's largest amphibian research and exhibition center, a butterfly and hummingbird garden, a free flight aviary, and a great apes exhibit 8450 West Ten Mile Road • Royal Oak, MI 48068 • 248.398.0900

Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village
20900 Oakwood Boulevard • Dearborn, MI 48124 • 313.271.1620
The Henry Ford Museum, a 12-acre repository of Americana, lies behind the doors of a replica of Philadelphia's Independence Hall. You'll see everything from telephones and refrigerators to steam engines, carriages, airplanes, and--of course--cars. The multimedia presentation "The Automobile in American Life" explores our nation's infatuation with cars. Look for Ford's 1901 Model-T, the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile, George Washington's camp bed, the Lincoln rocking chair, and a parade of presidential vehicles.

Also: Check out a Pistons game or go gambling in a near-by Casino.. take a day trip into Canada as well.

Suggested Restaurants

Duet's
3663 Woodward • Detroit, MI • 313.831.3838
Duet's red velvet curtains and vintage loge seating combine with urban chic to create an enjoyable and unique atmosphere, one that is almost as good as its food. For lunch try the almond-crusted chicken salad with apple slices, goat cheese, and warm honey mustard. For dinner, the crispy seared salmon with tomato shallot stew is good. Enjoy live jazz on the weekends.

Tribute Restaurant
The New York Times called Tribute "the best restaurant between New York and Chicago"; and Food & Wine named its chef, Takashi Yagihashi, one of the nation's 10 best in 2000. Tribute is quickly becoming known as the place to dine in Detroit. Try the grilled orange-anise glazed duck breast or the sautéed Pacific snapper "Thai" with oyster mushrooms and somen noodles. The elegant food and decor--which includes stained glass and orchids--create a memorable evening.

Memphis Regional: 2009 NCAA Tournament

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:13:02 -0500

South Regional

Friday & Saturday, March 27 and 29, 2009

FedExForum
Memphis, Tennessee
Host: University of Memphis

Memphis Regional Tickets

Phone: 901/205-2640
E-mail: tigertickets@memphis.edu

Arena Information

Memphis - FedExForum
FedExForum is located in downtown Memphis at the heart of the city's Beale Street Entertainment District. The arena is easily accessible to visitors from exits off I-40, I-55 and Midtown I-240 as well as Poplar Avenue and other east-west arteries. Affordable roundtrip express shuttle bus service and three separate trolley lines also run within a few blocks of FedExForum.

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2008 NCAA Tournament

NCAA Tournament Venues