Justin and I have been to two cities in the past two weeks that have Final Four attached to their names. San Antonio is home to this year's Big Dance, while Detroit will get a chance to host the event next year. After seeing both venues, we decided to put together our likes and dislikes of each city and venue.
1. Seating: Basketball is meant to be played in front of small crowds (under 25,000 people). Ford Field can seat 70,000, but due to the incline of the seats most of your view of the court is blocked. The Alamodome seats about 43,500, but almost 2,000 of these seats have a better view of the media workroom than the court. Bottom line, determine possible obstructions to your seats before you buy them.
2. Accommodations: Staying in a hotel close to the fanfare is a major plus. San Antonio has plenty of luxury hotels as well as college-budget motels within walking distance or a short cab ride of the Alamodome. Detroit has a few upper-end hotels close to Ford Field, but the majority of places to stay are not within walking distance to the general vicinity of the venue. While there's nothing wrong with taking a cab or renting a car, being able to walk everywhere will definitely save you a few bucks and prevent some hassle.
The Riverwalk in San Antonio. We found plenty of people here before and after the games.
Nothing compares to being at the Final Four. The crowds are amazing and everyone is out for a good time, but some cities just have a better environment for hosting an event like this. I have no problem with the NCAA wanting to host the games in venues with seating for 65,000 or more fans, but please don't compromise the overall atmosphere just to make extra money.
You are too kind, Court. Early April in Detroit to watch a Final Four in a football stadium? Blech! Might as well stay home and watch on TV. But I do hope that next spring somebody from KUJH and tv.ku.edu are sitting in Michigan on this Monday.