Greed roars its ugly head when selecting a Final Four Venue

71,500 is the listed capacity at NRG Stadium. The Dean Smith Center has a capacity of 21,750, and the Pavilion holds 6,500. The later are both basketball specific arenas, and are home to the two teams playing in the Final Four. March Madness is about playing on the biggest stage, in one of the biggest tournaments. However, does the venue hurt the game?

In 2009, the NCAA held the Final Four in Detroit at Ford Field. This was the first Final Four, in a football venue, and continues to be the choice of the NCAA. Andrew Joseph of the USA Today published and article http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/04/5-reasons-final-four-football-worst "5 reasons why holding the Final Four in a football stadium is the worst idea." 

Players and coaches will say that it doesn't matter where they play, because they just want to play. However, depth perception without the friendly confines of basketball specific arena could have an impact. With the court centered in the middle of the stadium, the space behind the backboard can seem like an eternity. 

As ticket prices go up, and the NCAA seeks to break attendance records, the non-profit NCAA organization is the only one that benefits.