The Final Four is huge. At least the stadium is.
University of Phoenix stadium is home of the Arizona Cardinals and, as of this weekend, the host site for the Final Four. Capacity for Saturday's national semifinals was 76,033.
McKale Center, by comparison,. needed renovations just to get to a 14,500 capacity.
The football stadium's high ceilings and far back walls prompted some to wonder if players' shooting would be affected. about shooting. This weekend's games also feature a raised floor: The court sits 2 1/2 feet above the ground, meaning players must step down to sit on their benches.
Gonzaga didn’t seem to have any problems Saturday: The Bulldogs shot 57 percent in the first half against South Carolina.
“It’s just about getting used to it,” said Oregon forward Dillon Brooks. “It didn’t affect me.”
South Carolina’s Duane Notice was more taken aback by the enormity of the stadium, after spending his entire career playing in regular basketball venues.
“I never fathomed the fact of playing basketball in a football stadium,” he said. “I didn't think that was possible. So the fact that we're here and we're going to have the opportunity to play in front of a whole bunch of people and a whole bunch of fans and family is going to be an amazing experience.”
