Thursday, March 30

It all started Thursday afternoon. Heading home from work, I received a tipoff from a friend that tickets to all three games of the Final Four in Houston were going for just $90 all-in. In addition to the men’s basketball championship on Saturday and Monday, the Astros and Rockets were also slated to play on the Sunday in between the games.

After some quick researching, I saw that I could both rent a car for the long journey and snag lodging for extremely low rates. And as far as work goes, I was free to take off whenever I needed.

With a solid and legitimate plan coming together, I talked with my wife about the tantalizing prospect of going to Houston. She was in full support of me setting off on this crazy adventure, so I sat down and spent the rest of the night booking things and buying tickets.

Friday, March 31

First stop this morning was Hertz to pick up my rental car. My personal vehicle had recently been hit by a semi and my work vehicle obviously couldn’t be used for this adventure, so a rental was my only option. (Later, I would actually have to sue the trucking company and received reimbursement for the entire cost of this rental!)

When I arrived at the counter, I was told they’d be putting me in a Tesla Model 3. I had never driven an electric car before, but I had ridden in a Tesla at one point. Although the car was amazing to drive, stopping to charge every 200 miles was annoying and significantly delayed me in getting to Texas and back.

I hit the road just after 9am and – after a sightseeing stop in Montgomery – I pulled up to my hotel in Pascagoula, Mississippi about 14 hours later.

Saturday, April 1

I continued my journey to Houston this morning, parked downtown around 2pm and took the light rail down to NRG Stadium. Thousands of others apparently had the same idea, so I was packed in there like a sardine.

Some of the parking lots around the stadium had been converted into a temporary festival area, featuring a ferris wheel, concert stage and many other social spots.

This year’s Final Four consisted of the (#4) Connecticut Huskies, (#5) Miami Hurricanes, (#5) San Diego State Aztecs and (#9) Florida Atlantic Owls. It was a ragtag group, the first in tournament history to not feature a 1-seed, 2-seed or 3-seed.

Due to the lack of “popular” teams participating, attendance was a lot lower than in years past. This also is probably the reason why tickets were so darn cheap. However, the crowd on hand was decent and full of traveling fans from all four schools.

In the first game of the semifinals, San Diego State faced Florida Atlantic. Lamont Butler’s buzzer beating 3-point shot helped lift the Aztecs over the Owls by the score of 72-71. In the game’s final moments, the energy inside NRG Stadium was exemplary. Even though the calendar had just turned to April, it was truly March Madness.

In the second game of the night, UConn wiped the floor with Miami, 72-59, finalizing the National Championship matchup. It was a bad evening for the Florida teams involved, that’s for sure.

Sunday, April 2

It may have been a day off for the Final Four, but it was not a day off for me. My busy afternoon started off at Minute Maid Park, home of MLB’s Houston Astros. It was opening weekend, and with the tournament crowds in town too, it was a full house. The sellout crowd saw the visiting Chicago White Sox defeat the ‘Stros, 6-3.

After a short walk down Crawford Street, it was time for the nightcap. The NBA’s Houston Rockets were hosting LeBron James and the popular Los Angeles Lakers at the Toyota Center, a venue that quickly became one of my favorites. I loved the interior design and setup, a true palace for the fans. The Rockets unfortunately, but expectedly, fell to to the Lakers, 134-109.

Monday, April 3

I chose to sleep in a little bit today after a few days of craziness. In the afternoon, I hit up the Final Four Fan Fest at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The exhibition hall was full of interactive activities covering a wide range of NCAA-sanctioned sports – not just basketball. There were also plenty of food areas and a huge merch shop for fans to scoop up 2023 Final Four gear.

Then it was back down to the stadium complex for the big game. Instead of leaving my car downtown and fighting the light rail madness, I decided to fork over $20 and park in the Fannin South Transit Center parking lot about a mile away. This significantly expedited my egress after the game and saved me from standing in the endless line to board the train.

The game itself wasn’t the most exciting, as UConn made quick work of the Aztecs. It seemed as though most of the fans in attendance were on the side of the Huskies, who handily won 76-59. The confetti rained down as the team celebrated its 5th National Championship trophy.

Tuesday, April 4

The fun was sadly coming to an end. I left Houston as early as I could today after the late night yesterday, but having to stop and charge my Tesla ate up significant chunks of my time. What should have been a straightforward 1,000 mile, 16-hour drive turned into a 21-hour long-haul. Aside from food and charging, I didn’t stop for anything or anyone. I finally pulled up back at home just after 5am on Wednesday morning, completely exhausted but not regretting a single moment.

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The Breakdown

• Rental car – $250 $0
• Lodging – $105 for three nights in Houston, plus a free hotel with points
• Food – $175
• Tickets – $200
  • Final Four – $90
  • Astros – $45
  • Rockets – $65
• Parking – $28
• Souvenirs – $45

Grand Total: $553 (…..cheaper than most Final Four tickets alone)