Craig Larson Jr.
April 3, 2025
Updated 10:34 a.m. ET
San Antonio is renowned not only for The Alamo and the winding River Walk but also for hosting some of the most memorable Final Fours in NCAA Tournament history over the past 27 years.
As a minor career note, I’ve been fortunate enough to attend all of the events at the Alamodome, starting with the inaugural tournament in 1998. That year, Tubby Smith’s Wildcats triumphantly cut down the nets. It marked Kentucky basketball’s seventh national championship at that time. The weekend featured star players like Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, and Andre Miller; however, it was Jeff Sheppard who ultimately shone the brightest, despite Michael Doleac from Utah leading the tournament in scoring with 115 points.
In 2004, Emeka Okafor was unstoppable. UConn cruised to victory, and after winning a national championship, Emeka went on to secure Rookie of the Year honors with the Charlotte Bobcats the following spring.
Four years later, the Final Four returned, and this time, Bill Self captured his first title at Kansas. What made this event particularly unique was that it was the only time in history, since the seeding began in 1979, that all four number one teams faced off in a Final Four. Memphis, UCLA, North Carolina, and Kansas hold this distinction to this day. One of my strongest memories from that championship game is how quickly the Jayhawks jumped out to a lead, at one point gaining a 40-15 advantage in the first half.
A decade later, in 2018, I returned to the Alamodome to witness Jay Wright and Villanova climb the ladder to victory. If you had Donte DiVincenzo as your pick for Most Outstanding Player, you were a winner!
This weekend, the Alamodome will once again be filled with a lifetime of memories. I hope that when the bid for the 2032 game is announced, it will once again land in the Alamo City.
