Attending NCAA March Madness
 

So who will be attending any March Madness games in person this year?

I will heading up to Portland for the games there.

Curiously, at that site we have either 5 v 12 or 4 v 13 match-ups for all of the first games.

Omaha also does this with its two four-team mini-tourneys having two of each 2v15 and 7v10 games.

I guess that this is a product of the pod system.

Our organization held a raffle for the 2 dates in St. Louis. Bummer. I did not win. That would have been so cool to attend those games.
I wonder if they will open the Edward Jones Dome for practice sessions?

Since the Rose Garden is about 10 minutes from where I currently am sitting at work I wanted to go and burn a day of vacation and watch some basketball. However, when I tried to get tickets I was blown away at the costs. Over $200 for a ticket in some halfway decent seats, I couldn't believe it. However, the last time they were in Portland 3 years ago the place was sold out so I'm not surprised the prices stayed the same. So with that in mind I think I'll watch them on TV during an 'extended' break at work.

My employer has a skybox at the Rose Garden but not suprisingly they are not allowing the worker bees in on that.

I will probably still check out craig's list or stubhub close to the gametime to see if they have dropped in price at all.....

Is the $200 for 4 or 6 games? For 6 games, I think it's not a bad price.

Heading to Omaha Friday to see Florida vs. Virginia and then Mizzou vs. Norfolk St. I only get to attend the first session though so I won't get to see the other two games. St. Mary's vs. Purdue looks to be a good one and of course Kansas will be there too. Tickets were $84 I think and I am pretty sure they are in the nosebleed section. Lower level prices are crazy, $200 and up. I told somebody the other day, I went to Lincoln at the Devaney Sportscenter in 1988 when Kansas won it all that year with Danny Manning. It was great, NC St. with Valvano, Shackleford and Pitt had Jerome Lane and Charles Smith. I think Dan Marjale (sp?) played for Eastern Michigan and they were there too. Anyway, we sat 4 rows behind the bench and paid $36 for 6 games total. Those were the days. :D

Should be 6 games. Four the first day, two the second.

Will be at Portland for all sessions.

I don't think that's a bad price. I know when I went in the 90s it was $120 for seats in the nosebleed section.

It is $222 per seat for the 4 games on Thursday. The 2 games on Saturday are a separate purchase.

Ouch. No wonder many of the regionals are played to half-empty arenas.

I paid $486 for 2 seats....for both Thursday and Saturday....$81 per session per seat.

I am, however, disappointed in the seats I got. I got in on what was advertised to be a special early offer...and such offers usually means better seats. But not in this case.

If it was some special offer, I wouldn't expect to end up on the 300's (Section 334, Row B, to be exact) and especially not for those prices. The only thing special about it is that the NCAA got my money early before I found out I could have done better on the 2nd had market..

I'll never do that again.

I'd feel very comfortable going with no tickets and getting in under face. Trust me, I'm a pro at this. Someone will always have extras. Alumni with a block of tickets, and a few extras etc. If you're catching a doubleheader and don't mind missing the opening tip, someone will be in a hurry to get in and take anything for their extras. if you're with your son, take a brightly colored file folder and "Dad & Son" need two sign.......like flies to honey.

If you're a single, even easier

All Star game
Home Run Derby
Final four in 2005, 2007
Bears, Packers games
Cub, Sox games
Cub playoff games(as few as they are)
Bulls playoffs back in Jordan days
Boston, Cards World Series
Notre Dame USC
and countless regular season games in all sports

You will always get in, I've never been shut out, and for above games many were free tickets from folks who didn't want to deal with street scalpers out front. Of course it helps to have a cute little blond haired son.

I've never paid face for any of the above events.

Wow, that would be a great session for me to see. UVA and Mizzou each have a starter I officiated throughout HS and Norfolk St has players I officiate in a Pro-Am every summer.

Going to Women's Final Four in Denver.

Where are your seats?