LOCAL Houston | The City Guide MARCH 2016 | Page 50

SPORTS

THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR ENDS IN HOUSTON
By Jayme Lamm | Illustration by German Arellano

One of the nation’s most prominent and exciting sporting events hits
Houston April 2–4 at NRG Stadium, returning to Houston for its second time in a six-year span and for the third time in the city’s history
(1971: Astrodome; 2011: NRG Stadium). It’s a highly publicized and
sought after event the city is ecstatic to host, for many reasons. Whether
you’re into basketball or your alma mater makes the Big Dance, you’ll
want to get in on all the action.
The Final Four is expected to bring 70,000 out-of-town visitors and
approximately $150,000,000 in direct spend to Houston. Just a few
reasons the organizing committee is pulling out all the stops to make
sure it’s a hit.
“The Final Four is one of the most exciting events a city can host.
Houston was a great host in 2011, and we know we’ll be an even
greater host in 2016, as our city has that much more to offer this time
around. March Madness will culminate here, and all eyes will be on
our city. We’ll be ready, and we’re looking forward to showing the
world what a great place Houston is,” says Doug Hall, President and
CEO of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four Local Organizing
Committee.
The big weekend isn’t all about basketball either. Be sure to check out
the March Madness Music Festival, which is a FREE concert
series that takes place Friday, Saturday and Sunday and features both
local and national acts. Past artists include Fergie, Bruce Springsteen,
Rihanna, The Zac Brown Band, Imagine Dragons, Kings of Leon and
Kenny Chesney, just to name a few. Upcoming acts for 2016: TBD.
Fan Fest is also a great interactive sports “extravaganza” perfect for
families, complete with basketball exhibitions and fan games, handson championship experiences, youth clinics and more. A Kids Zone
is filled with interactive games, a 3v3 tournament and special appearances with former NCAA players and coaches as well as other sports
personalities. Cost: Adults – $10, Kids 12 and under – FREE.
Many sports fans don’t know about the huge community component
that comes with Final Four hosting duties, like Read to the Final Four
wher H\