On championship Sunday, thousands of fans crowded the plaza to see LSU and Iowa players and coaches arrive and walk the red carpet. With each school’s marching band performing, a Buick employee told me the only time she’s ever seen the plaza that crowded was before a Harry Styles concert.
What’s in your wallet?
Other brands packed inside the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas for Tourney Town, a fan festival presented by Capital One, which included several different activations and experiences. Capital One had an enormous court where fans were challenged to make difficult shots and a photo op posing as if you were cutting down the basketball net.
The brand also had the NCAA championship trophy on display, and fans lined up to take photos with the hardware.
In addition, Capital One had appearances from stars such as Arike Ogunbowale, a pep rally, mascot appearances and events such as the world’s largest game of Horse and a USOPC wheelchair exhibition game.
Beyond the Baseline with AT&T
At Tourney Town, AT&T hosted a series of panels on the Beyond the Baseline stage, largely focused on DEI in sports. The session I checked out had executives from AT&T, Nissan, ESPN and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. There was also a live recording of ESPN’s basketball show Around the Rim with LaChina Robinson and Terrika Foster-Brasby.