Final Four Programs & Events

The largest collegiate basketball event in the world, the NCAA® Men’s Final Four® is emerging on the city of Detroit, and University of Detroit Mercy is a big part of making it happen.

Detroit children to benefit from NCAA® Final Four® Legacy program
UDM promotes NCAA® Final Four® events on TV
UDM coach McCallum shares Final Four® thoughts
UDM Student-Athletes participate in Middle School Madness Awards
The Game of Change: A special evening At UDM
Marketing analysis of Final Four®
Other Final Four® Events
For more Information

Detroit children to benefit from NCAA® Final Four® Legacy program

The Detroit Local Organizing Committee (DLOC) for the 2009 NCAA® Men's Final Four® announced a legacy gift of $250,000 from the NCAA to help children in southeastern Michigan enter school ready to learn by improving the quality of early care and education for pre-school age children throughout the region. UDM Athletic Director Keri Gaither serves as DLOC chair.

The gift is the first legacy program to be associated with the NCAA® Men's Final Four®. The DLOC presented the gift to United Way for Southeastern Michigan to support United Way's Early Learning Communities (ELC), March 3 in Detroit. ELC is a pilot program created to enhance school readiness for pre-school age children by providing training and resources for children and their caregivers at neighborhood-based centers.

One of the beneficiaries of the NCAA® gift is the Shurly Family Learning Center in Detroit's Brightmoor neighborhood. UDM student-athletes recently visited the Shurly Center to meet with students.

Group at Shurly Center
UDM Student-athletes reading to children at the Shurly Family Learning Center in Detroit's Brightmoor neighborhood.

UDM promotes NCAA® Final Four® events on TV

Men's basketball head coach Ray McCallum and Titan basketball student-athletes Tryl Hartfield and Zemora Davis appeared on WJBK-TV with FOX 2 anchor Alan Lee, March 18 to promote one of the NCAA® Final Four® events in which UDM is taking part, the NCAA Final Four Dribble, April 5 in Detroit. UDM is the host institution for the 2009 NCAA® men's basketball Final Four®. Find out more about the NCAA® Final Four® Dribble.

As the chair of the Detroit Local Organizing Committee for the 2009 NCAA® Final Four®, UDM Athletic Director Keri Gaither will be Katrina Hancock's guest on the WDIV-TV Channel 4 Sports Final Edition feature, Sunday, March 29 at 11:30 p.m. to talk about the upcoming Final Four® events.

Gaither has made many other appearances in Detroit media to promote the Final Four®, including WJBK-TV FOX 2, WXYZ-TV Channel 7, and a number of radio stations.

UDM coach McCallum shares Final Four® thoughts

Tune into WXYZ-TV Channel 7's Sunday Sports Update with Tom Leyden each weekend throughout the Final Four® to hear UDM Men's Basketball Head Coach Ray McCallum's breakdown on the NCAA® tournament, every Sunday at 11:30 p.m.

As part of The Detroit News' coverage of the NCAA® tournament McCallum will give his thoughts and predictions throughout. Read Tom Markowski's article, "McCallum likes the top seeds."

UDM Student-Athletes participate in Middle School Madness Awards

Student contest winners get Final Four® tickets

Several Detroit Titan men's and women's basketball student-athletes recently participated in the Middle School Madness awards program and were featured on WDIV, FOX 2 and in the Detroit Free Press. The UDM players helped present awards to middle school students who entered an essay and poster on the topic of sportsmanship in daily life. Prizes included tickets to the NCAA® Final Four® at Ford Field.

Titans at middle school

See the Detroit Free Press story, "Student contest winners get Final Four® tickets."
See the photo gallery (smugmug.com)

The Game of Change

A special evening At UDM

Before a large and engaged crowd in Calihan Hall, UDM hosted a screening of the NCAA® documentary, Game of Change, along with a panel discussion on race relations and sports, March 20 evening in Calihan Hall.

Game of Change tells of the Mississippi State University basketball team that defied Mississippi state law to play a racially integrated Loyola University (Chicago) team in the 1963 NCAA men's basketball tournament. For more on the film and the event, see:

Marketing analysis of Final Four®

"Under the Mike-roscope," a marketing newsletters by UDM Professor of Business Administration Mike Bernacchi, takes as its latest subject the NCAA® basketball championship tournament.

Other Final Four® Events

Final Four Friday® - Team Practices - April 3, 2009
Fans can watch each of the four participating teams at an open practice at Ford Field free of charge to the public. Practices begin at 12 pm.

Final Four Friday® - Hershey®'s College All-Star Game – April 3, 2009
Following the open practice, two teams of players selected by coaches from around the country will play in an all-star game that is FREE to the public.

NCAA Hoop City® refreshed by Coca Cola® - April 3 – 6, 2009
Follow the bouncing ball to Hoop City - the ultimate NCAA Basketball® experience. At Hoop City, fans of all ages can run, jump, shoot and play until the final buzzer! When we say there's something for everybody, we really mean it. There's basketball competitions, clinics, performances, photo ops, prizes, the chance to experience other NCAA® sports, autograph sessions, surprise appearances and so much more.

The Big Dance® - April 3 – 5, 2009
The Big Dance® is a FREE, multi-day entertainment-oriented and celebrity-filled festival held in downtown Detroit.

YES Clinics® hydrated by vitaminwater revive – April 4, 2009
College coaches present instructional skill sessions in basketball while NCAA® Life Skills coordinators conduct sessions in personal enrichment. Parents also participate by attending their own information session.

The Road to the Final Four® 5K Run/Walk - April 4, 2009
Enjoy a course along Detroit's scenic Riverwalk. Entry fee includes a commemorative long-sleeved Nike t-shirt for the first 1,000 registrants, free admission to Hoop City® refreshed by Coca-Cola®, and a chance to win 2009 NCAA® Men's Final Four® tickets for all participants. Proceeds benefit the United Way of Southeastern Michigan Early Learning Communities.

NCAA® Final Four® Dribble – April 5, 2009
Thousands of youth, 18 years of age and younger, will dribble through the streets of downtown Detroit to Hoop City.

NCAA Middle School Madness
The NCAA® Middle School Madness program was initiated at the 1999 NCAA Women's Final Four®. As was its goal then, the Middle School Madness program provides a link between classroom learning and the Men's and Women's Division I Basketball Championships. As Detroit prepares to host the 2009 Final Four, the NCAA® and the Detroit Local Organizing Committee will invite middle schools to participate in the Middle School Madness program.

The Middle School Madness program includes resources, lesson plans and activities that are designed to challenge young people to strive for higher levels of achievement in both athletics and academics.

Fan Gathering Sites
Four downtown Detroit restaurants will adopt fans from each of the Final Four® teams during the championship weekend in Detroit. Fans and locals can meet old friends, new friends and fellow alumni while they root for their school. All restaurants are within walking distance of stadium area parking lots and Ford Field.

Community Initiatives Schedule

Game Times
Semifinals:
Saturday, April 4
Game #1: 6:07 PM ET
Game #2: 40 minutes after the conclusion of game #1

National Championship Game
Monday, April 6
9:21 PM ET

For more Information

See the Men's 2009 Final Four® official site.

See the Detroit Free Press article, "14 things to know before Final Four invades Detroit"