Final Four History
Bob Johnson
The term “Final Four” is often used to describe the final four
teams remaining in a sports playoff tournament. The term is
most widely used in conjunction with the final four teams
participating in the annual NCAA basketball tournament. In
1974, the first public random drawing for Final Four game
tickets was held. In 1975, the official NCAA publication
featured the term “Final Four” for the first time as a 32-team
bracket was accepted under the terms that no conference could
be represented by more than two teams. By 1981, the NCAA
decided to register a trademark for the “Final Four” term with
a first use stated to be in 1978.
Over the next several years, the Final Four competitions became
more and more popular with a greater demand for tickets and an
increasing number of fans in attendance. As basketball fans
scrambled to obtain Final Four tickets, players prepared for a
tournament that they would hope to participate in. By 1983, the
league decided that the venue, which would be chosen to hold the
Final Four competition, must consist of a minimum of 17,000
seats. With the computer industry gaining in popularity, the
first computerized random drawing was held by the NCAA for the
public’s allotment of Final Four competition tickets. In 1989,
the NCAA committee determined that three of the next four
competition facilities should offer a minimum capacity of
30,000 seats. With an anticipated increase in crowds, the
league wanted to be prepared to house every fan who wanted a
seat for it’s largest fan attendance games of the season.
The NCAA determined that no team could play on their home
court, which established the precedent for holding the annual
tournaments on a neutral court for all teams involved. In 1990,
the general public was limited to purchasing no more than two
Final Four tickets. By 1996, the internet age was becoming the
“norm” for newsworthy reports and, as such, the Final Four
website was created. By 2003, the Final Four seating capacity
was increased to 40,000 for any venue being chosen to host the
annual NCAA tournaments.
Attendance at Final Four tournament games has filled arenas to
nearly full capacity and done so in all-time record fashion.
With no signs of slowing down, the NCAA and the Final Four
tournaments are sure to continue packing the house with
cheering fans hoping to see their favorite team advance to the
championship.
Bob writes for http://www.fanfrenzyzone.com
and http://www.EZTicketSearch.com. Where you can purchase a
http://www.fanfrenzyzone.com/college_basketball/final_four.html
Final Four Apparel or
http://www.ezticketsearch.com/tickets/college_basketball_tickets.cfm
NCAA Tournament Tickets
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