Reliant regional finals get kudos

They may not have gotten any sellouts, but the folks at Reliant Stadium got some kind words from the NCAA about the games that were played there over the weekend.

When it was all said and done, the first NCAA regional in Houston since 1986 received rave reviews.

"Actually, we were really pleased," said David Worlock, the NCAA associate director of the Division I men's basketball championship. "The feedback is still coming in from the participating institutions, our committee members and staff on site, but so far it's all been really positive."

That's the same feedback Reliant Park president Shea Guinn received on his end as Reliant prepares to host another NCAA regional in 2010 before staging the Final Four in 2011.
"I thought it went exceptionally well," Guinn said. "The feedback from the NCAA ... and fans was nothing but positive.

"As a dress rehearsal, it was a huge success. We have good ground to build on for 2010 and 2011."

Though the Texas Longhorns were the No. 2 seed in the regional, Reliant Stadium (43,000 capacity) didn't sell out. But more than 65,000 fans attended the Friday and Sunday sessions combined. It finished among the top-five all-time regionals.

"Over the weekend, we sold the equivalent of over two arenas," said Guinn.

Well, that's one way of looking at it. But it still makes me wonder about the wisdom of opening the whole stadium for the 2010 regional final, which may or may not include such a local draw as the Horns.

Worlock said the NCAA looks forward to bigger crowds and perhaps a more festive atmosphere surrounding the stadium than during this past weekend in Houston.

"The folks at Reliant Stadium are top-notch, they're very easy to work with, and it's such a beautiful facility," he said. "As far as the seating configuration, it's going to be even bigger in 2010 and 2011.

"We would like to think it will be improved because we've learned from the regional this past weekend."

Snark aside, the experience matters more than the headcount, and it appears the folks at Reliant did a good job with that. So, my kudos to them for a job well done, and my best wishes for coming up with a viable strategy for selling all those extra seats next time.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on April 02, 2008 to Other sports