Announced attendance at U.S. Bank Stadium for last night's Virginia-Texas Tech final was 72,062GETTY IMAGES
Final Four weekend in and around U.S. Bank Stadium was a "resounding success not only for the stadium," but for Minnesota and downtown Minneapolis, according to Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. For more than a decade, the "arguments against any kind of public funding for a new Vikings stadium were based on the wrongheaded idea that stadium deals lined the pockets of owners but didn’t do anything for the citizens of Minnesota." But the "tremendous success that the city had" with Super Bowl LII and this Final Four have "helped to really change how Minneapolis is viewed as a destination for major events and will surely pay huge dividends in the future." There is "no question" that the NCAA will be pleased with Minneapolis, and the fact that the NCAA will be back in '22 for the women’s Final Four at Target Center "only adds to the relationship the city is building with one of the premier sports groups in the country." There is "no question that a successful showing this weekend is going to bring the Final Four back to downtown Minneapolis, on top of other NCAA tournament games," such as the Midwest Regional at Target Center in '21 (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/9).
MEANT TO BE: In Minneapolis, Smith & Olson in a front-page piece write the Twin Cities area proved "once again that it can host a national mega-event that draws thousands to town and the eyes of the world." Minneapolis Final Four Organizing Committee President & CEO Kate Mortenson: "Once again, Minnesota is shining. … It’s pretty clear we’re good at this." U.S. Bank Stadium was "filled to the rafters -- more than 72,000 people during each" of the Final Four games (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/9). In St. Paul, Jace Frederick writes this was "one of the more memorable college basketball weekends in recent history." Many were "disappointed when none of the 'Blue Bloods' found their way to Minneapolis." However, a "hoard of fresh fan bases flocked to U.S. Bank Stadium in masses this weekend, packing the arena to the brim." The announced attendance for last night was 72,062 (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 4/9).
WAIT TIME: In St. Paul, Mizutani & Frederick write U.S. Bank Stadium was a "human parking ramp in the hour before" Virginia-Texas Tech tipped off last night, as a lap around the stadium concourse "took a solid 30 minutes." Some of the "biggest traffic jams occurred near the areas in which fans strolling the concourse walked directly into a perpendicular line of people waiting in line to buy beer" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 4/9).
