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Cardinals
Stadium slated for 2009 March Madness action By
The Business Journal
A
big-time money event is coming to the Arizona Cardinals' new
stadium in
Glendale
, state officials are saying, as a bit of March Madness is
headed this way.
The
Business Journal has learned that in March 2009 the new
stadium will host the NCAA Men's College Basketball Regional
Tournament.
"We
like to believe that it is a precursor to hosting a men's
Final Four in 2012," Ted Ferris, president and chief
executive of the Arizona Sports Authority told the Phoenix
Business Journal Wednesday. "That's the first year
that's available, as the NCAA has awarded the Men's Final Four
all the way out to 2011."
In
terms of hotel stays, "this is very similar to a Super
Bowl, where they (teams) put in a four night minimum on a
hotel stay at hotels designated for teams and alumni,"
added Ferris.
Four
teams will come here for the event and their fans will need to
book hotel rooms too.
And
starting in 2009, the NCAA will go to a center-field
configuration. "Instead of pushing the court to one end
of the stadium, where you seat 40,000 to 50,000 people, this
will place the court in the middle of the stadium with floor
chairs around it and with the permanent seats in the stadium,
you're able to sit up to 80,000 people," said Ferris.
Ferris
said this event could carry a Super Bowl-level economic impact
of $300 million to $400 million.
Also,
US Airways Center in
Phoenix
will host the NCAA Men's College Basketball Regionals on March
27-29, 2008.
For
more: www.az-tsa.com
or www.ncaasports.com.
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