2009 College Basketball | Bracket Contest | College Basketball Champioship | College Hoops Contest | Final Four College Basketball

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College Basketball Finals

... the phenomenon that grips the national sports psyche from the first week of March through the first week of April is HERE!

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The term "Final Four" refers to the last four teams remaining in the playoff of a tournament. In college basketball these are the champions of the tournament's four regional brackets, and the only teams remaining on the tournament's final weekend. (The term has been applied retroactively to include the last four teams in tournaments from earlier years, when only two brackets existed.)

In the men's tournament, all sites are nominally neutral: teams are prohibited from playing tournament games on their home courts. In the 2006 tournament, Villanova was able to play its first two games at the Wachovia Center in nearby Philadelphia, a venue where it had played three regular-season home games. A fourth home game at that facility would have disqualified them from playing there. However, some semi-"home" courts are mere quirks of scheduling and have been part of the tournament for years.

On the third weekend, traditionally a Saturday and Monday for the men's tournament and a Sunday and Tuesday for the women's tournament, the final four teams meet in semifinals on the first day and the championship on the second. For several years in the men's tournament, the teams eliminated in the semifinals met in a consolation game prior to the championship; this was discontinued in 1981.

Some claim that the phrase Final Four was first used to describe the final games of Indiana's annual high school basketball tournament. But the NCAA, which has a trademark on the term, says "Final Four" was originated by a Cleveland Plain Dealer sportswriter, Ed Chay, in a 1975 article that appeared in the Official Collegiate Basketball Guide. The article stated that Marquette University “was one of the final four” in the 1974 tournament. The NCAA started capitalizing the term in 1978, and turning it into a trademark several years later.

While the National Football League's Super Bowl receives attention from virtually every red-blooded American every year, the annual college basketball tournament remains in relative obscurity among the ranks of the general public but not the sports betting public because, contrary to popular belief, the Super Bowl is not the top sports betting event of the year.

That distinction belongs to the college basketball tournament, also known as "March Madness". While the Super Bowl is simply one game played one night in January between two teams, the tournament is a series of five rounds featuring 64 teams, played over the course of three weeks. And, unlike the Super Bowl, the tournament is chock full of competitive, exciting, even gut-wrenching games

• Tip #1 - Bet what you know
• Tip #2 - Be a sponge for info
• Tip #3 - Become an expert
• Tip #4 - About your own line
• Tip #5 - Be Confident

The championship games are certainly the focal point for all fans of the Final Four, but there are several events surrounding the weekend that goes well beyond basketball and has something to offer for everyone!. The NCAA has created the opportunity for a host city to involve both youth and adult basketball fans with events such as the FREE Open Practice, Dome Dribble to Hoop City, The Big Dance, the River Rally, the Final Four 5K, , "YES" Clinics and NCAA Hoop City.

One of the newest and biggest highlights for San Antonio is an event that has transformed the Final Four over the past few years from a crowd-pleasing, weekend basketball championship to a 4-day fan festival sure to take your Final Four experience to new heights!. The Big Dance is open to the general public and will include headlining musical acts in a festival-type atmosphere during the 4 days of the Championship. Tournament goers and locals alike will enjoy this large scale street fair for FREE. Stay tuned to for a schedule of events and list of performers.

- What are the dates of the 2009 Final Four?

It is scheduled to begin on March 17, 2009, and will conclude with the championship game on April 6 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

- What will the seating capacity be in the FORD FIELD 2009 NCAA Final Four?

It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for basketball.

- How much are 2009 Final Four tickets?

The all-session ticket prices for upper-level and distant view seats are $400 and $1,300 respectively.

- When will teams be chosen to play in the 2009 Tournament?

Saturday, April 04, 2009 at 6:00 PM | Ford Field | Detroit, MI