Day 1 of regional semis goes off without a hitch
Houston proves it can play host to big-time hoops just as in past years
By DAVID BARRON
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Big-time stadium basketball returned Friday night to its point of origin, fueled by a large jolt of burnt orange and a dash of new technology for a 21st-century look to the phenomenon that began in Houston 40 years ago.
A few hundred yards from the Astrodome, site of the groundbreaking game between the University of Houston and UCLA on Jan. 20, 1968, and the first stadium Final Four in 1971, Reliant Stadium hosted 32,931 for the NCAA South Regional.
Texas advanced to Sunday's regional final against No. 1 seed Memphis with an 82-62 victory over Stanford.
The NCAA Tournament's first Houston stop since 1986 began with no problems, despite a scheduling quirk that required the Longhorns, whose fans accounted for about 75 percent of the crowd, to play at 6:30 p.m. at the tail end of Houston's Friday afternoon rush hour.
As tipoff approached, the stadium looked like it does during a noon Texans start, with wide swatches of unfilled seats. But the lower bowl was 60 percent filled five minutes into the first half, and the only empty seats as the Longhorns pulled away from the Cardinal in the second half were in the stadium's upper reaches.
'You only live once'
Not that fans such as Don Pittman were complaining about the location and availability of the upper-deck seats, by the way. Pittman, who lives in Beaumont, said he decided at 3:30 p.m. Friday to attend the game.
His seat was in section 540, in the stadium's upper deck at the southeast end of the court, but he enjoyed the view so much he bought a ticket for Sunday's final.
"You only live once," Pittman said. "Who knows when Texas will be back in Houston for the Sweet 16."
If Shea Guinn, president of Reliant Park, has his way, based on the strong Texas presence Friday, Pittman will have to wait only two years. The regional tournament will return to Houston in 2010, followed by the Final Four a year later.
"That's the beauty of March Madness," Guinn said. "You start out with 65 teams and don't know who you'll get for the regional or Final Four. But it's been a great experience for everybody, and the NCAA tells us we've exceeded their expectations."
One of the significant unknowns entering the week was the impact of the new riser system that fits 31 rows of gently sloped seats over the first 13 rows of Reliant Stadium's permanent seats to bring fans closer to courtside. Guinn said a similar riser system will be used for 2010 for the end-zone seats, which will be reserved for students.
Standing-room only?
Don Jones of Houston, who had a seat in the last row of the temporary riser section, said that, if anything, the slope was too gentle.
"In a game that's so exciting, everybody wants to stand, so you can't stay seated and see the game," he said. "I'd like to see them have the risers a little bit higher and separate the levels a little more. Nobody wants to sit down during a game like this."
The most significant factor lacking from Friday's presentation was a pregame buzz outside the stadium. Although a few Texas fans arrived early to tailgate, Reliant Park was lacking the game-day atmosphere that fans have come to expect.
With that in mind, organizers are exploring the possibility of leaving the carnival from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in place for the 2010 regional and 2011 Final Four "to create more of a festival atmosphere," Guinn said.
david.barron@chron.com
