Denver is all set to host one of the leading collegiate women’s sporting events in the world, the NCAA Women’s Final Four in April 2012.
This will be the first time for the Mountain Time Zone when women’s basketball fans, coaches and student-athletes will come together to celebrate and pay tribute to women, girls and sports in a community that is unlike any other.
Denver was one of the eight cities that competed to host the events for the five women's Final Four tournaments (2012-16). The five future Women's Final Four hosting cities were announced by the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee in November, 2008 with Denver being the host of the event in 2012. The other four cities selected to host women's Final Four tournaments are New Orleans (2013), Nashville-Tennessee (2014), Tampa-Florida (2015) and Indianapolis (2016).
For those who are still unaware of the NCAA Women's Final Four, it is a Division I Basketball Championship that is held annually in April. The inauguration of this championship was held between the seasons of 1981 to 1982. Over the years, it has gained more popularity and participation in the game.
The tournament begins with the first two rounds played on the first weekend of the game, usually on a Saturday and Monday, or a Sunday and Tuesday. After the first weekend, the winning teams move on to the regional semi finals, also popularly known as the ‘Sweet Sixteen’. The finals of the regional game are known as the ‘Elite Eight’. The regional winners of each region are eligible to play in the Final Four. In the Final four, the semi final is played on a Sunday and the final championship on a Tuesday.
Until 2004, the pairing semi final was decided upon by annual rotation but since then, they have been decided by the pod system with the four top teams competing against each other. The last winners of the championship were the Tennessee who won against the Rutgers in 2007 at Cleveland, Ohio.
It will be the fifth time in the tournament’s history since the women's Final Four began in 1982 that the tournament will be held west of Texas, and it will be the first time that the event will be in the Mountain Time Zone. I’m certain that the selling out of the Frozen Four and an attendance records at the 2007 West Regional helped the presentation committee to make their decision in favor of the Mile High City.
According to Jacki Silar, Chairwoman of the Division I women's basketball committee, "Denver is an exciting and appealing city and we know coaches and fans will enjoy the time they're going to spend at the Final Four in 2012”. "The committee was impressed by the accessibility in downtown Denver. We know fans will have numerous options to choose from”, she further added.
April 1st is the day of the Semifinals, when the two games will decide who will go on to play in the Championship. There will be music, fun and excitement in the air with NCAA Pep Rally, pep bands, cheerleading squads and mascots pulling out all the stops to get everyone pumped up for the big finale. The first game begins at 5:00pm while the second game will begin at 7:30pm.
April 3rd will be the big day of the final and will decide on the NCAA 2012 Champion. The Tip-off is at 6:30pm, followed at 9:30pm by the NCAA/WBSC Coaches’ Trophy Presentation. Although this part is free and open to the public, but it is best to check out the NCAA website for ticket availability.
The Women’s Final Four is much more than just three basketball games. It will be a grand event in Denver that is intended to leave a lasting legacy in the city for years to come. There are amazing starting line-up of activities like Middle School Madness, a program that links classroom learning to the Women’s Final Four to Champions4Women™, an annual women’s empowerment event and not to be missed ‘Super Saturday’ where thousands of fans can attend open practices and enjoy Tourney Town™. Indeed championship is so much more than just three games of basketball.
I agree with Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s statement that, "The NCAA Women's Final Four will build on Denver's tradition of showcasing our city's passion for sports.
So, now that Tebow and the Broncos are done for the season, and the Super Bowl is almost upon us, this Final Four event will certainly give us Denverites the sports excitement that we love!
