Expand / Collapse search
☰
Freeze Watch
from SUN 12:00 AM MST until SUN 9:00 AM MST, Southeast Gila County
10
Freeze Watch
from SAT 12:00 AM MST until SAT 9:00 AM MST, Southeast Gila County
Freeze Watch
from SAT 1:00 AM MST until SUN 9:00 AM MST, Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys including Clifton/Safford, Eastern Cochise County below 5000 ft including Douglas/Wilcox, Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra Vista/Benson
Wind Advisory
from FRI 5:00 AM MST until FRI 5:00 PM MST, Parker Valley
Wind Advisory
from FRI 11:00 AM MST until FRI 6:00 PM MST, Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys including Clifton/Safford, Dragoon/Mule/Huachuca and Santa Rita Mountains including Bisbee/Canelo Hills/Madera Canyon, Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra Vista/Benson, Eastern Cochise County below 5000 ft including Douglas/Wilcox, White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties including Hannagan Meadow, Chiricahua Mountains including Chiricahua National Monument, Galiuro and Pinaleno Mountains including Mount Graham, Southeast Gila County, Globe/Miami, San Carlos
Wind Advisory
from FRI 5:00 AM MST until FRI 6:00 PM MST, Eastern Mogollon Rim, White Mountains, Little Colorado River Valley in Apache County, Little Colorado River Valley in Navajo County
Winter Weather Advisory
from FRI 12:00 PM MDT until SUN 6:00 AM MDT, Chuska Mountains and Defiance Plateau
Winter Weather Advisory
from THU 11:00 PM MST until SAT 11:00 AM MST, Kaibab Plateau
Wind Advisory
from FRI 12:00 AM MST until FRI 11:00 PM MST, Northwest Deserts, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Lake Havasu and Fort Mohave
Air Quality Alert
until FRI 9:00 PM MST, Pinal County

Basketball fans flock from across the globe for Final Four action

By and
Updated  April 5, 2024 6:05am MST
Sports
FOX 10 Phoenix

PHOENIX - Places all over the Valley are preparing for the Final Four in Glendale.

Hance Park, Old Town Scottsdale and Westgate in Glendale all have special events going on for the end of the college basketball season, taking place at State Farm Stadium.

The host committee party is even making sure basketball fans who fly into Sky Harbor have a good time the moment they land.

Final 4 attracts fans from all ends of the earth

The Final Four host committee party is even making sure basketball fans who fly into Sky Harbor have a good time the moment they land. Even those from Alaska and Australia! FOX 10's Lauren Clark has the story.

While the four teams - Uconn, Purdue, Alabama and North Carolina State - are mostly based on the East Coast, the event is attracting fans from across the world.

"College basketball, you guys are all mad for it over here! So we wanted to see what the environment was like," said Theo, a basketball fan from Australia who is in town for the games.

"We’re basketball fans, so we came here for the Final Four! We went to the Phoenix (Suns) game last night and that was an awesome, big bucket list for us from Australia," said Sharv.

Other fans are here to enjoy the weather. A couple from UConn noted there was snow on the ground from where they took off. Another fan is here from Alaska where the high today was 37 degrees.

Related

After flight delay, defending champion UConn arrives in Arizona for Final Four in middle of night
article

After flight delay, defending champion UConn arrives in Arizona for Final Four in middle of night

Defending national champion UConn finally touched down in Arizona for the Final Four at 3:15 a.m. MST on Thursday after a long delay and a red-eye flight.

"It’s gorgeous!" Scott Rossignol, a Huskies fan exclaimed. "Much better than the 30-degree snow that I left this morning! So super excited to have a good weekend here."

"Every March gets pretty exciting up in Connecticut. It’s one of the only sports we have up there with no professional teams, so we die for our huskies and bleed blue."

Rusty Osborn, a basketball coach from Alaska told FOX 10 he is here for the love of the game.

Sky Harbor Airport preps for Final 4 in Glendale

The Final 4 is expected to attract more travelers through Sky Harbor Airport. FOX 10's Danielle Miller has more with how the airport is preparing for the rush.

"The emotions come out when you watch college basketball at this level," he said.

"Just the excitement in the air that all the young people get to experience, you can read it on their faces, it’s just fun to watch."

Image 1 of 2
▼

 

Crews have been setting the stage at Hance Park for musical performances. 

Big hoops and floating basketballs decorate the Old Town Waterfront and a giant bracket sits outside the convention center.

The first two games will be at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Saturday with the championship game on Monday.