It’s hard to remember the level of stress going on about this time last year at c21– but there was stress. We were knee deep in executing the 75th anniversary of the NCAA® Men’s Final Four®. Louisville, Wichita State, Syracuse and Michigan had just experienced their night with Jim Nance at the Final Four Salute, and big fan events like BracketTown and The Big Dance (renamed March Madness Music Festival this year) were kicking off. Community events were happening and you couldn’t stop the train even if you wanted to!
It’s 18 months of working hand-in-hand with some of the best and brightest at the NCAA, but most don’t realize that much of the planning and preparation rests on the shoulders of volunteers. The Atlanta Local Organizing Committee was comprised of a small, but smart and efficient army of individuals who were, what I call “doers.” They got stuff done – a lot of stuff! And it was an amazing, record-breaking weekend!
As I look at this year’s match ups (with my busted bracket!) – for me, it’s not about the teams – no offense to Florida, UConn, Wisconsin or Kentucky who worked their tails off to get to the Final Four. It’s about wishing the volunteers and the organizers of this year’s host city – Dallas – all the luck and good weather in the world for a truly successful event. Don’t get me wrong – Atlanta broke every record in the book, and my competitive personality would like to keep it that way, but I wish Dallas all of our success and then some.
Good luck and Atlanta is thinking about you, Dallas!