SAN ANTONIO — On Saturday, a block of downtown San Antonio shut down for basketball courts, college bands and mascots to tip off the host city for NCAA Men's Final Four.
"You grow up playing basketball and watching the Final Four every year, and it's just probably the best month of sports you could ask for," said UIW basketball player, Dylan Hayman. "So just being a part of it and being so close, it is just honestly awesome.”
San Antonio will be hosting the NCAA Men's Final Four in April 2025. The last time the home of the Spurs hosted the men's NCAA Final Four, was in 2018. The event will be one of the last major events for Mayor Ron Nirenberg as he wraps up his last term.
"It's full circle," Mayor Nirenberg said. "I remember going up there to pitch for bringing the Final Four here. We were notified that we won the pitch and now it's actually here.”
Putting San Antonio on the national scale, the economic boost to San Antonio is estimated to be around $400 million.
"We're expecting over 100,000 visitors that come into the city and it's causing our occupancy rates to be up for the whole year and all of our spending to be up for the whole year," said Elena Wells, executive director of the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee for the 2025 NCAA Men's Final Four.
Downtown San Antonio, which is where events for the Final Four will be hosted, is still covered in construction projects that have yet to wrap up.
"We're obviously trying to work those timelines to make sure that we've got as much of that wrapped up as possible," Mayor Nirenberg said. "We do know that some of the projects are not going to be, but we're going to situate them in a way that, you know, make sure that we can pull off these events unhindered.”
The mayor, promising 2025's final four will be bigger and better than the last time San Antonio hosted.
"Just like you would imagine, the Super Bowl has gotten bigger and better every single year, so has the Final Four," he said. "San Antonio's growth is only accommodated in a way that makes them want to come back here."
The NCAA Fan Event Schedule includes:
NCAA Men's Final Four River Rally Friday, April 4
NCAA Men's Final Four Fan Fest presented by Capital One Friday, April 4 - Monday, April 7
NCAA March Madness Music Festival presented by AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola Friday, April 4 - Sunday, April 8
Reese's Men's Final Four Friday Friday, April 4
NCAA Men's Final Four Dribble presented by Buick Sunday, April 6
Championship River Parade Monday, April 7
For more information, click HERE.