We do big events very well in this state.
Twice a year NASCAR sets up a small country in the West Valley. Over a half million fans show up at TPC Scottsdale over a five day span to check out golf.
Rock and Roll Marathon and Pats Run go off without hitches. Super Bowls? Check. College Football title games? Done.
The NCAA announced this afternoon that the 2017 Final Four(March Madness) is coming to the Valley on Saturday April 1st 2017 through Monday April 3rd 2017.
Thirty years of covering sporting events, nothing comes close to a Final Four.
The energy and enthusiasm of a college crowd that has been following their team for three weeks leading up to that weekend is incredible.
Within a few minuets after the announcement I was already hearing from Arizona Wildcat basketball fans, who were joking about blocking hotel rooms in the Valley for the 2017 event (easy there Cat fans, 2001 was your last Final Four if I remember correctly).
No one person or entity deserves credit for putting this together. From my understanding there was good synergy with this group. Arizona State AD Ray Anderson was at the table in Indianapolis this week for the final presentation along with Tom Sadler, President and CEO of the Arizona Sports Tourism Authority along with others.
Much more on this on my Three Dot Thoughts column on Sunday.
Brad Cesmat
