NCAA tries new-look location, elevation of courts in Detroit, Houston

[NEW.ERA]

I think it's pretty cool first time ever too.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney0...tory?id=3316264

Here is the seating chart for Ford Field

[HedleyLamarr]

I can't imagine it'll be too different from the courts at Minnesota and Vanderbilt....

[TFoA]

I love those courts at Minnesota & Vandy. I'm gonna make sure to take not of that when I'm watching the game.

[VandyDelphia Mike]

So they're placing temporary seating on top of permanent seating to reduce the slope of the first level? Innovative.

Much different than your typical dome configuration.

[Viper]

The NCAA tournament is experimenting with a new-look configuration during the regionals in Detroit and Houston, putting the court on the 50-yard line of football stadiums instead of tucked toward one end.

This may be new for the regionals, but haven't they already done this at least once during the Final Four? IIRC the championship game one year (at the Superdome in New Orleans) had an announced attendance of over 66,000, and I don't see how they could have managed that with a half-stadium configuration.

[HedleyLamarr]

The NCAA tournament is experimenting with a new-look configuration during the regionals in Detroit and Houston, putting the court on the 50-yard line of football stadiums instead of tucked toward one end.

This may be new for the regionals, but haven't they already done this at least once during the Final Four? IIRC the championship game one year (at the Superdome in New Orleans) had an announced attendance of over 66,000, and I don't see how they could have managed that with a half-stadium configuration.

Probably the same way the Georgia Dome got the attendance record for Michael Jordan's supposed last game in Atlanta.....the court was placed on one end of the Dome, but still sold seats in the parts of the Dome that had limited or no visual lines of the court. How did they see that game, you ask?

On televisions throughout the venue, including a large projected screen behind the temporary seating....

[winghaz]

By the way, I'm so glad those NCAA courts say "Basketball" right in front of the scorer's table. If it weren't for that, I'd think I was watching football or hockey.

[STL FANATIC]

I hate raised courts, at least the way it's done at Minnesota. Seems like a needless safety hazzard.