Sept. 29, 2008
Mason's Director of Athletics Tom O'Connor is entering the final year of his five-year term on the Division I Men's Basketball Committee. As chair of the committee last year, O'Connor and the ten-member committee saw for the first time in history all four No. 1 seeds make it to the Final Four. This year one of the responsibilities of the committee is a task that will have an impact on the Men's Final Four through 2016, the selection of the host cities for years 2012 to 2016.
The site-selection process is a year long campaign after submitting a declaration of intent to bid last November, representatives of each city attended a bid orientation session in January, before meeting with the NCAA staff for individual planning and progress updates at the Men's Final Four in April. The 10 finalists were announced in August and site visits are taking place through October.
Six of the ten cities vying for the Men's Final Four have hosted the event in this decade, and Detroit and Houston are set to host the Final Four in 2009 and 2011 respectively. Those six cities with recent experience include Atlanta (2002, 2007), Indianapolis (2000, 2006, 2010), Minneapolis (2001), New Orleans (2003), San Antonio (2004, 2008), and St. Louis (2005). Cities that are finalists that to host the Men's Final Four for the first time include Phoenix and Arlington, Tex. Dallas hosted the 1986 Final Four at Reunion Arena.
"The NCAA is very pleased with the number and quality of bids that we received," Tom O'Connor said. "It tells you what a positive impact this high profile event has on a city, when all of the recent host cities want another opportunity to make their city the destination. It's exciting that we have new cities and venues that want to host as well. I've enjoyed the process and look forward to the selections in November."
When evaluating prospective hosts, the committee reviews each city's competition venue, lodging and transportation, as well as the community's overall commitment and "vision" to growing the event. The minimum seating capacity to host a Men's Final Four is 60,000.
Beginning at the 2009 Final Four in Detroit's Ford's Field, the look and layout of the Final Four will be permanently changed, with a new seating plan that will place the court in the middle of the playing field. The playing court is raised as high as 39 inches and behind each basket is a standing area for students. Last year, Ford's Field and Reliant Stadium in Houston used this layout in the NCAA Regionals.
In November, the finalists will make an in-person presentation to the Division I Men's Basketball Committee. Upon selection of the cities, the basketball committee will submit their recommendations to the Division I Championships/Sports Cabinet for final approval. All five Final Fours will be awarded in November.
