Thelma Parker is an airport ambassador and does volunteer work for the Fiesta Flambeau Parade and the Conservation Society of San Antonio. Come April, she’ll spend three days as a volunteer in the command center of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Division I Final Four.
Parker, 81 and retired from Zachry Construction, is one of more than 2,500 people needed in San Antonio to help host the event, set for April 5 and 7 at the Alamodome.
“I always felt that when you volunteer, you’re giving back a little bit to the city that you live in, even in a little bitty way,” she said. “You’re being part of what’s going on.”
What’s going on is one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
The tournament is the NCAA’s most celebrated event and its biggest financial driver, pushes up TV ratings and ticket sales, and has been called “the pinnacle of live sports,” and “the best post-season in America.”
On Wednesday, with 74 days to go before tipoff, the NCAA and local organizers plan to preview what’s in it for the fans with an event that offers tournament details, free activities and community initiatives. It will offer a first look at the NCAA Legacy Project — a new gym at the Boys & Girls Club Rayburn Clubhouse, 635 Rayburn Drive.
Annually, the Final Four follows March Madness, a series of matchups also known as “The Big Dance,” in which the teams that made the cut for regional tournaments are narrowed to the final four winning teams to vie for the championship.
On March 16, basketball fans will get a preview of which teams have a shot at the Final Four on “Selection Sunday.” The 68 teams competing for the men’s and women’s NCAA Division I basketball tournaments will be announced and placed in a playoff bracket.
The Final Four refers to the last four teams remaining from the four regional tournaments — known as March Madness — that begin March 18.
March Madness and the Final Four sporting events are run by the Indianapolis-based NCAA, a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics in about 1,100 universities in the United States and Canada.
Tickets for all four sessions of the Final Four in San Antonio are on sale now through the NCAA.
San Antonio and the NCAA
Another volunteer, Dan Andrews, who is an in-house attorney at USAA, also volunteered for the Men’s Final Four held in San Antonio in 2018. Andrews answered phones at a help desk and directed visitors in a hotel lobby.
The fan of all sports signed up again for the 2025 tournament and looks forward to suggesting restaurants and giving directions for visitors to the adopted hometown he’s proud to call his own.
“People think of San Antonio as the sleepy little town — we get overlooked,” he said. “I just love having the nation’s spotlight on us for that weekend.”
San Antonio’s relationship with the NCAA began in 1997, when the city hosted its first regional competition — 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine which team would advance to the national championships.
Since then, the NCAA has chosen San Antonio to host several first- and second-round contests, regionals and Final Four events.
There’s more to come. In 2026, San Antonio will host the NCAA volleyball championships, and in 2029, the women’s Final Four.
The 2025 Men’s Final Four is the fifth such national championship to be held in San Antonio. The most recent, the 2018 Men’s Final Four, had an estimated economic impact of $185 million, according to San Antonio Sports.
This year’s event will cost $24 million to produce, with the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee (SALOC) pitching in $20 million of that.
SALOC funds its portion of the cost for hosting the Final Four through private-sector fundraising and the State of Texas Major Events Reimbursement Program. SALOC officials expect state funding to cover about 80% of the budget. Local tax dollars are not used to pay for the event.
SALOC, which is responsible for hosting the event, is led by Pat Frost as the organization’s chairman, and Elena Wells as executive director, plus nine other local business and athletic leaders.
Wells said that when a city wins a bid to host a Final Four, years of planning immediately begin.
“It’s a huge event,” Wells said. “There’s lots of moving parts. The preparation really starts with working with our partner organizations — each play a role in the execution of the Final Four.”
SALOC works to coordinate these efforts between all the partners involved, which include the city, NCAA, local hotels and the Alamodome.
There’s an expected payoff. SALOC estimates the Final Four will have a $400 million economic impact on the city, attracting more than 100,000 visitors to San Antonio with another 150,000 people in the San Antonio region expected to attend the Final Four.
The city is also spending to put its best foot forward for the Final Four even though all those projects aren’t yet complete. While the second phase of Civic Park is expected to be complete before the event, work on the $48.5 million South Alamo Street improvement project and Zachry Hospitality’s 17-story hotel are ongoing.
Alamodome ready
In 2023, City Council approved spending more than $29 million for upgrades to the Alamodome in preparation for the Final Four. Some of that work is done and some are still ongoing.
The improvements include 18 new luxury suites on the club level and major structural improvements needed at the three-decade-old stadium. Alamodome suites for the 2018 event were reported to have sold for over $55,000 in the days leading up to the Final Four.
Making preparations for the 2025 event started “probably the day after we were awarded,” in July 2018, said Steve Zito, assistant director of convention and sports facilities and the Alamodome.
In addition to working on the appearance and cleanliness and basic upkeep of the 32-year-old arena, Zito said his team has been overseeing a project to upgrade the fifth-level concession and circulation area, build a new prep kitchen and install new flooring and wall paint, an LED monitor, signage and sound system.
Structural repairs to the four concrete masts, steel trusses, stay cables and masonry walls are also complete.
Some San Antonio hotels already are seeing a surge in bookings for the Final Four.
The general manager of the Hilton Palacio del Rio said room bookings are similar to the last time San Antonio hosted the Final Four. The hotel also will be housing the teams’ coaches, he said.
Rooms in the boutique Hotel Havana are 96% sold from April 5-7. The hotel located at 1015 Navarro St. has 27 rooms.
During the Men’s Final Four in Phoenix last year, hotel revenue per available room during the tournament games was $238, a 109% increase over the same time in 2023, reported the real estate analysis firm CoStar. The hotels reported an average daily rate increase of 51%, to $274, and that occupancy rose from 38% to 87%.
Final Four events schedule
Volunteer sign-ups for the Final Four began Dec. 11 and since then about 90% of the slots have been filled, said a spokeswoman. But there’s still time to volunteer; click here to see opportunities.
To participate in the NCAA Men’s Final Four events leading up to, during and after game time, mark your calendar for these free events and go to the NCAA website for more events and details:
April 4-17
Men’s Final Four Fan Fest at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
$15, free for military and children ages 12 and younger
Fan Fest is billed as a sports wonderland of games, celebrity and athlete appearances.
April 4-7
Tip-Off Tailgate at Civic Park at Hemisfair
Free
Watch the men’s and women’s Final Four matchups on the big screen.
April 4-6
March Madness Music Festival at Tower Park at Hemisfair
Free
This three-day music festival will feature a lineup of performing artists that will be announced in March. The concerts will be Friday from 4:30 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 3 to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 2 to 10 p.m.
April 4
Reese’s NCAA Men’s Final Four Friday at the Alamodome
Free
Following open practices, the Reese’s NABC All-Star Game takes the court, featuring top senior student-athletes from across the U.S.
April 5
NCAA Men’s Final Four 4-Miler at Travis Park
Fee required
A run benefitting San Antonio Sports starts at 8 a.m. and ends at “Dribble Village” in Travis Park with a run through downtown featuring live music and fitness classes.
April 7
Final Four River Rally at the Arneson River Theater
Free
Celebrate the NCAA Men’s Final Four champions. This floating pep rally begins at 11 a.m. with the cheer squads and bands performing in the Rivercenter Mall Lagoon.
Business reporter Lindsey Carnett contributed to this report.
