Detroit Eyes Boost From Final Four, With NCAA Trying To Help

With the U.S. auto industry "on life support, Detroit is once again turning to sports for a sorely needed economic -- and psychological -- boost" with this weekend's NCAA Final Four, according to a cover story by Liz Clarke of the WASHINGTON POST. Event organizers are hoping that the Final Four "serves as a prototype for hosting such lucrative, mega-sporting events." In a "tacit acknowledgment that staging such a lavish spectacle against a backdrop of such profound need would invite charges of insensitivity, the NCAA is making a financial contribution to a charity in a host city for the first time in tournament history." The organization will donate $250,000 to a community-based program launched by the United Way for Southeastern Michigan. Also, the NCAA has teamed up with Detroit-based Forgotten Harvest "to deliver any unused prepared food from the myriad parties and conventions associated with the tournament to the city's most needy." Neither initiative "was envisioned in 2003 when the NCAA awarded Detroit this year's Final Four," but the recession has "crippled the Motor City." The city has sold out all 72,000 tickets available at Ford Field, thus setting a Final Four attendance record, and officials estimate that the event will bring between $30-50M into the city. However, Smith College sports economist Andrew Zimbalist said that the economic impact "has been exaggerated," arguing that it is closer to $10-15M. Zimbalist also believes that "any notion of an image makeover is fanciful." Zimbalist: "It's not likely that people watching on television are going to say, 'Let's take a vacation to Detroit!'" (WASHINGTON POST, 4/2).

PICK ME UP: Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm said the Final Four, "during this time, it's really a ray of sunshine, a ray of hope for us." Granholm: "Michigan State's an underdog team; we're an underdog state, and that's all right." Asked about the expected impact from the event, Granholm said, "I think it's going to be hundreds of millions of dollars. We're used to doing big events. ... We've done this before. We know it has a great impact" ("First Take," ESPN2, 4/1). In Philadelphia, Troy Graham writes there is "no better antidote for a bad image than successfully hosting one of America's premier sporting events" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/2).  

Ticket Execs Claim Ford Field's Size Is Contributing To Lower Final Four Prices

CHEAP SEATS: USA TODAY's Michael McCarthy reports ticket service execs claim that the economy and the size of Ford Field are "driving down ticket prices" for this weekend by 30-40% in the online resale marketplace. RazorGator VP/Business Development Scott Roback said that the stadium's seating capacity is "helping create a glut of inventory." Comparatively, the crowd for last year's final at the Alamodome was 43,257. Additionally, StubHub PR Dir Sean Pate said that the average resale price for Final Four tickets on StubHub, as of yesterday, was $445, down 41% from $753 at the same point last season, while tickets for Monday's title game were selling for $292, down 34% from $442 in '08. Those figures are the "lowest average prices since StubHub began tracking them five years ago." Pate: "The economy is unquestionably taking its toll on the Final Four this year." McCarthy notes the ticket prices "might have tumbled to face-value levels if not for strong demand generated" by Michigan State's appearance (USA TODAY, 4/2).