College basketball has wrapped for the season, and the mens Florida Gators and womens UConn Huskies are the last teams standing now that the confetti from the NCAA National Championships has settled. This year, the womens Final Four took place in Tampa, Fla., and the mens finals took place in San Antonio, Tex.
Many of the same hands that have touched Hooplandia recently made their way to both sites for the semifinals and championship game. This list includes leadership from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame; Angie Czeremcha, former Hooplandia ambassador, the event’s 2024 MVP and current intern for World Sports Travel; and Brian Geitner, Western New England University student athlete and Eastern States Exposition's (ESE) Group Sales and Promotional Outreach Intern.
This year, Brian continued his seven-year tradition of attending the Final Four. Brian’s father, Bill Geitner, coaches the mens basketball team at Eastern Connecticut State University and travels to the finals each year as a valued member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). “While my dad goes to the games and attends business meetings as part of the NABC, I get to run around the city and enjoy all that the Final Four weekend has to offer,” said Brian.
When asked about the atmosphere around the Alamodome, Brian shared, “The energy in a city during the Final Four is unmatched; you’ll be at dinner and the chants of a team’s Alma Mater or fight song will break out at the restaurant. It is truly a basketball fan’s dream weekend.”
The season boiled down to a tense game between the Cougars from the University of Houston and the Gators from the University of Florida in a battle of states and wills. “As far as the games went,” Brian continued, “they were exciting. Each game was a close call!”
The semifinals and championship game are not strangers to the Alamodome—the arena previously hosted these events in 1998, 2004, 2008 and 2018, making 2025 the fifth installment at the historic site. “Seeing the size of the stadium never gets old—it’s always shocking,” Brian continued. “I think that attendance was 69,000 for both nights, which is a massive number of people.”
Though no current Hooplandia representatives attended the womens Final Four this year, it brings us pride to share that UConn’s Azzi Fudd was recognized as the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. Fudd hosted a clinic at the Northeast’s Ultimate 3x3 Basketball Tourney + Festival in 2024, and her presence inspired and exuberated all players that took part in her demonstrations. She showed off her skills on the court and took the time to chat and take photos with many players after her session.
It seems that there is a touch of Hooplandia everywhere you go these days! Ready to make your mark on the tournament by bringing your own final four (or three) players to the court? Advance discount registration is available now, for a limited time, at Hooplandia.com!