Written by Carleen Phillips
Roaring crowds, packed stadiums, the squeak of shoe leather on waxed hardwood, and gravity-defying leaps. It’s that time again, when devoted basketball fans follow their favorite teams to the coveted Final Four Championship. Match-ups will be announced March 14th, then all hell breaks loose. The following venues will be hosting these playoffs. Be sure to purchase your tickets as quickly as possible.
3/16/10 – Opening Round takes place at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio. Home of the Dayton Flyers, this arena has hosted the opening rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship since 2001. The 13, 435 seater is considered “one of the greatest venues for college basketball”.
3/18 and 3/20 – First and Second Rounds are in the following arenas: New Orleans Arena, LA, Dunkin Donuts Center, otherwise known as “The Dunk” in Providence, RI, HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA (otherwise known as The Shark Tank), and Spokane Memorial Arena in Seattle, WA.
3/19 and 3/21 – First and Second Rounds: HSBC Arena in Buffalo, NY, Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla, The Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI, and the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, OK.
3/25 and 3/27 – East Coast Regionals will be held at the Carrier Dome (The Loud House) in Syracuse, NY. West Coast Regionals go to Energy Solutions Arena,(previously the Delta Center) in Salt Lake City, UT. The Energy Solutions Arena is consider the most intimidating arena in the NBA.
3/26 and 3/28 – Midwest Regionals will be held at Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO while the Southern Regionals will be played in Houston, Tx at Reliant Stadium.
4/3 and 4/5 – The big one, the Final Four, will take place in Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN. Indianapolis is home to the NCAA headquarters.
If you are traveling to these stadiums with friends, or want to engage your neighboring fan in conversation, try a little stadium trivia. For instance, mention that Elvis played the UD Arena in 1956, 1974, and 1976. Point nervously at the scoreboard in the HSBC Arena as you discuss the fate of the first JumboTron, which fell and shattered while being moved between a practice and the evening’s game. Discuss the historical merits of The Bradley Center, the fourth oldest active NBA arena. Gaze wide-eyed at the fiberglass roof of the Carrier Dome while noting the two workers that fell through. Try your hand at coming up with an innovative nickname for the Energy Solutions Arena. Previous names include, “The Dump”, “Plutonium Palace”, and “The Melta Center”.
But first and foremost, get your game face on.
www.ncaa.com
Content provided by Associated Content
Which arena will you be at to witness the March Madness excitement?
