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The Final Four is set to tip off this weekend as Auburn, Duke, Florida, and Houston compete for a national title. The four one-seeds will be in for a drastic change in San Antonio.
The final rounds of the NCAA Tournament will be played in the Alamodome. The venue, which typically hosts football games, will present a unique perspective for players on the court.
The majority of the Big Dance is held in basketball arenas throughout the country. That was again the case in 2025. As the field is narrowed down to the last four, the location often moves to a domed football stadium.
The Alamodome is home to the UTSA Roadrunners football team as well as the UFL squad San Antonio Brahmas. The push to get the venue basketball ready started earlier this week.
It’s floor installation day at the Alamodome. Crews are getting the court ready for the #FinalFour next week. While it may seem like a big task officials with @Connor_Sports telling me it actually takes about an hour for it to be completed. pic.twitter.com/R9fJZupf2G
— Tawny Davis (@TawnyDavisTV) March 28, 2025
A court was brought in, as was temporary seating to place closer to the floor. Teams got their first looks at the setup on Thursday.
First look at the @Alamodome 👀
🕺 @JonScheyer pic.twitter.com/xvj5FiQNvw
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) April 3, 2025
The stadium can hold around 65,000 fans for basketball events. That’s a major bump from what the Final Four squads are used to.
Florida boasts the largest home venue of the quartet, seating just over 10,000 fans in Gainesville. Houston has the smallest at around 7,100 seats. Duke and Auburn both come in between 9,000 and 9,500.
Throughout the NCAA Tournament, these teams have gotten adjusted to playing in larger arenas. The Tigers, for example, just played in the 17,000-capacity State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks. The Blue Devils had a similar host in the 16,000-capacity Prudential Center. Still, it will be nothing like they’ll see this weekend.
Here’s a first look. pic.twitter.com/kgHaWrZGef
— Sean Kelley (@SeanKelleyLive) April 3, 2025
The Alamodome more than triples the size of those previous venues. The basketball setup in a football stadium creates incredible yet unique optics for both players and attendees. The venue looks absolutely massive!
Johni Broome said the same thing that every single player who walks into one of the Final Four arenas for the first time says:
“I can’t believe how big it is in here.” pic.twitter.com/oAKj55dMHY
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 3, 2025
There may be one team better adjusted to the sightlines than its three opponents. Houston played in an NFL stadium last weekend. The Cougars took the floor in a readjusted Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where they successfully advanced through the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.
The optics there were wild, too! But even UH might have an adjustment period.
The typical configuration in a football stadium puts midcourt right around the 50-yard line. That will be the case in San Antonio, but it wasn’t in Indy. Instead, the Lucas Oil Stadium pushed the court to one half of the venue while dropping curtains to cover the other side of the building.
Houston will have a new look to get used to despite having already played in a football stadium. The other Final Four teams might have even more of an adjustment.
The squads have a couple of days before first tip to get their eyes set. The Gators open play against Auburn on Saturday, followed by Duke’s matchup with the Cougars. The winners will face of in the national championship on Monday. We’ll see if the new venue has any effect on shooting and player performance.