The record-setting 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four – hosted by the University of Detroit Mercy at Ford Field – was recently voted Best Collegiate Sports Event for 2009 by SportsTravel magazine.
The award was announced at the Travel, Events And Management in Sports Conference and Exposition held last month in New Orleans. TEAMS is the world's largest gathering of event organizers and travel planners from the sports industry.
Award winners were nominated and voted upon by readers of the magazine.
Criteria for nomination and voting included:
• Superior organization of and attendance at the event;
• The event provided a superior experience for competitors and spectators;
• The event's host city or venue served to enhance the event.
The 2009 Final Four showcased a new seating configuration, featuring a raised court placed in the middle of the domed stadium, which was used for the event for the first time. The configuration included courtside seating for students of the four participating schools, providing 2,000 students with courtside end zone seats that cost less than $7 per game. The 2009 Final Four also featured the largest allocation of general public tickets in the event's history, with nearly 24,000 tickets being made available.
The national semi-finals drew a Final Four-record crowd of 72,456 on April 4, and that attendance mark was topped two nights later when 72,922 watched North Carolina defeat Michigan State, 89-72, in the championship game.
Attendance at various related events was strong as well. A record 1,772 participants took part in the 5K Run/Walk on April 4; nearly 30,000 fans attended Final Four Friday; and around 40,000 fans attended the AT&T Block Party/Big Dance on April 3.
“UDM was the proud host of a fantastic NCAA Final Four! I want to again thank the Detroit community and all of the hundreds of volunteers – including our Detroit Titans staff, coaches and student-athletes – who helped make the Final Four such a great event,” Titans athletic director Keri Gaither said.
“Following the championship, I talked to hundreds of people including visitors, the participating teams, the NCAA Staff and Men's Basketball Committee, our alums and boosters, and we received rave reviews on everything that went on during the Final Four Weekend in Detroit. This award is another testament to everyone's hard work in the months leading up to the event and in the days when the championship was played.”
