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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher/Writer
With Allegiant Stadium serving as both the Las Vegas Raiders home and an all-purpose sports/entertainment center, Las Vegas has landed college basketball’s plum sports marketing prize — the Final Four men’s basketball event in 2028.
The March Madness Final Four has grown in marketing stature and revenue-generating ways that the national hoops event is played in football stadiums like Allegiant Stadium these days.
With Allegiant Stadium now in place, Las Vegas should play host to the Final Four every four years. Las Vegas is undoubtedly the ‘Basketball Capital of the World’ — all of the college basketball content, conference tournaments, NBA Summer League, AAU events etc. It’s only fitting that the sports’ single biggest event will be played there — Brooks Downing, college basketball promoter of hoops tournaments in Las Vegas and around the country.
“Clark County continues to be a premier location for all world class sport tournaments,” Clark County Michael Naft said after the NCAA announcement Tuesday.
“This world class event will continue to bring jobs and boost our economy over March Madness,” Naft said. “Not only will fans come to watch the early games but will be able to experience the Final Four in person or at our many premier sports-viewing locations,”
The stadium, which is managed by the Raiders and their venue management vendor, is hosting NFL Super Bowl 58 in February 2024.
The next five Final Fours are in Houston (2023), Phoenix (2024), San Antonio (2025), Indianapolis (2026) and Detroit (2027).
Las Vegas is a first-time host site for the Men’s Final Four.
In October 2020, the NCAA announced Las Vegas as a first-time March Madness site when it awarded the city the 2023 West Regional.
In addition, Las Vegas is currently scheduled to host nine other NCAA championships before 2026, and now the city will host the 2028 Men’s Final Four.
We are excited to bring the NCAA’s premier championship to Las Vegas, a city that for a number of years has hosted numerous championships from several member conferences. — Chris Reynolds, athletics director at Bradley and the chair of the committee.
“The feedback from leagues, the fans of their teams and the media covering the events staged there has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are confident we’ll get the same reviews when the Men’s Final Four is played at Allegiant Stadium,” Reynolds said in the announcement Tuesday
Allegiant Stadium has not hosted a basketball event — yet. The venue, built with a $750 million contribution in public dollars for Southern Nevada, has hosted college and high school football, international soccer and WWE events.
“The Raiders are thrilled to welcome the NCAA and college basketball fans from around the world to Las Vegas and our home at Allegiant Stadium,” said Sandra Douglass Morgan, president of the Las Vegas Raiders and Las Vegas NCAA Final Four bid team.
March Madness — especially the first few days of the national college basketball tournament — is very popular in Las Vegas with friends and fans from around the country descending on Las Vegas and its sportsbooks. The Final Four is the final weekend of the multi-week tourney and will offer a financial jolt that last Saturday and Monday for the event.
Here are the folks on the bid committee.
— Analysis Principal Analyst Jeremy Aguero
— LVCVA Sports Marketing and Special Events Manager Jennifer Bundschuh
— Raiders President Sandra Douglass Morgan
— Raiders Vice President of Stadium Management, Programming and Guest Experience Adam Feldman
— LVCVA Chief Executive Officer/President Steve Hill
— LVCVA Senior Director of Sports and Special Events Lisa Motley
— Allegiant Stadium Assistant General Manager Greg Desharnais
— UNLV Director of Athletics Erick Harper
— R&R Partners Executive Vice President Rob Dondero
— Thomas & Mack Center Executive Director Mike Newcomb
— Allegiant Stadium General Manager Chris Wright
— LVCVA Chief Operating Officer Brian Yost
Keep in mind that Las Vegas hosts five college basketball conference tournaments in early March at venues around the market: the Pac-12 at T-Mobile Arena, Mountain West at Thomas & Mack Center, Big West at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson and the West Coast and WAC at Orleans Arena.