- Slug: BC-CNS-Final Four Security. 750 words.
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By Analisa Valdez
Cronkite News
GLENDALE – Are you ready for the Final Four games? The city of Glendale is.
March Madness will come to an exhilarating conclusion in the Valley this weekend when men’s basketball teams from North Carolina State, Purdue University, University of Alabama and University of Connecticut face off for the NCAA championship.
During the first round of the basketball bracket, almost 260,000 fans attended the games in cities and college towns across the country. In preparation for the Final Four games scheduled for State Farm Stadium, state, local and federal officials have put in place security procedures and protocols for the influx of traffic and travel expected for the big game.
“We will ensure that the participating teams and fans are able to travel safely between hotels, event sites and State Farm Stadium,” Gov. Katie Hobbs said at a news conference at the Glendale Media Center Monday morning. “Regional cooperation is key. And I want to thank all the agencies represented here today for their collaboration, ensuring the safety of tens of thousands of visiting fans and Arizona residents alike. I hope everyone is as excited as I am.”
With Final Four festivities scheduled Friday to Monday, ranging from games and events at State Farm Stadium in Glendale to free concerts at Margaret T. Hance Park in Phoenix, this weekend holds plenty of excitement and anticipation leading up to the game. Alongside Hobbs and state law enforcement officials, Jay Parry, president and CEO of the 2024 Men’s Final Four Host Committee, discussed what Arizona residents and incoming travelers have to look forward to in terms of both fun activities and safety precautions.
“Four college fan bases are going to come to town this week for the event, and we’re excited to have that collegiate atmosphere, lots of students, college students and kids participating,” Parry said, noting similarities to other large sporting events the Valley has hosted. “Many of the planning efforts are similar because even with the case of public safety, … we’ve worked with many of those agencies around Super Bowl. You get to roll it forward and have all that continuity and benefit for the Men’s Final Four.”
Valley police and security personnel have been preparing for over a year on how to best maintain the safety of those attending large-scale sporting events. The 2023 Super Bowl at State Farm Stadium brought 103,000 out-of-state visitors to Arizona last year, and a large crowd is expected through the weekend for the much-anticipated Final Four games and additional festivities. Parry said the last Final Four games hosted in Phoenix in 2017 brought about 80,000 visitors.
“When it comes to major events such as this, fortunately, we’ve had plenty of practice. We know how to do them right here in Glendale,” said Glendale Assistant Police Chief Colby Brandt. “There is no higher priority for us collectively as public safety in the state of Arizona than ensuring you’re safe while attending the games or attending the many fantastic events surrounding the Final Four this week.”
With the added danger that comes with any large-scale event, Arizona law enforcement agents addressed what to look out for and what participants should expect going into the events.
“You’ll see a larger police presence. You’ll also see – or won’t see – there’ll be more police officers out there in plainclothes. The goal is to have this event go off just as it is planned, and we have no doubt that it will do that,” said FBI Phoenix Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jarod Brown.
“Obviously, we’re looking for intelligence or information of anything that could be a threat to anything that’s going on here in Phoenix,” Brown said. “And so we work collaboratively with our partners across the country in the FBI to make sure if there is information we should know about, specifically here in Phoenix, that that’s communicated directly to our state and local partners.”
Capitol One is presenting a Final Four fan fest open to the public at the Phoenix Convention Center Friday to Monday. On Saturday afternoon, the NC State Wolfpack will face off against the Purdue Boilermakers, and the Alabama Crimson Tide will take on the Connecticut Huskies. Winners of each game will go head-to-head in the championship game Monday at 6:20 p.m., and tickets are on sale starting at $719 on Ticketmaster.
“Four great teams. I mean, an all-star group of young men playing at the top of their game,” Brown said. “It’s going to be a good Final Four. I can’t wait.”
