The NCAA men’s basketball Final Four might be coming to St. Louis sooner than expected. The 2002 Final Four could be moved to St. Louis from Atlanta as early as April. A heated debate over the state flag, which has the Stars and Bars of the Confederate flag as part of its design, has led the NCAA to investigate contingency plans for the 2002 championship.
Last year, Martin Luther King III, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, asked the NCAA to relocate the 2002 and future tournaments from Georgia. Since then, the NCAA has denied that request, but they are still monitoring activities due to the Confederate symbol.
Over the past few weeks in Atlanta, it has been reported that St. Louis was trying to steal the Final Four. This story was quickly thwarted when Missouri Valley Conference commissioner Doug Elgin told the St. Louis Post Dispatch, “I want to make it clear that St. Louis is not pursuing the Final Four.”
At this point in the game, the NCAA is only looking at possible emergency scenarios. The worst thing that could happen would be for the NCAA to actually have to move the 2002 Final Four.
St. Louis is not the only city waiting in the wings with open arms. Indianapolis, Minneapolis and New Orleans are also possibilities. The tournament is a very lucrative event for any city. Hosting the men’s Final Four, a city can expect somewhere around $75 million in revenue.
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is one of the most-watched sports events every year. CBS has paid millions upon millions of dollars for the rights to broadcast the tournament. For any city to hold the “big dance” is a privilege in the sports world.
All parties involved hope that the Final Four is not moved. If, in fact that does happen more pressure than ever will fall on the Georgia legislature to change the appearance of its flag. If the Final Four stays in Georgia the situation will be very tense, with possible protests and confrontation on the horizon.
All that can be hoped for is that the accusations are halted and the screams are silenced. The NCAA is being forced to look at the bigger picture in this particular situation. Unless the NCAA is prepared to make a statement as a leading protest group, then it has to go along with its prior plans to hold the competition in Georgia.
If all ends as currently planned, the next time that the Final Four will come to St. Louis will be in 2005.
