INDIANAPOLIS---More NCAA basketball fans will attend Division I Men’s Basketball regionals in Charlotte, Detroit, Houston and Phoenix this weekend than at any time in the event’s 70-year history. Attendance at the four regional sites will surpass the previous record by more than 20 percent.

As of 12 p.m. EST on Thursday, more than a quarter of a million fans were expected at the four venues over eight sessions. The previous record was set in 1999, when 207,456 fans filled arenas in East Rutherford, Knoxville, Phoenix and St. Louis. Competition venues in Charlotte and Phoenix are sold out and with more than 24 hours remaining before tip times in Detroit and Houston, the number is expected to escalate further. More than 57,000 tickets have been sold in Detroit, while better than 32,000 tickets have been sold in Houston.

Detroit’s Ford Field and Reliant Stadium in Houston feature a new court and seating configuration, with the court being set in the middle of the arena rather than in an end zone. To compensate for the space, risers and seats were constructed to bring thousands of fans closer to the action. Those two cities will host future Final Fours; Detroit next year and Houston in 2011. The result will be record attendance figures at the regional sites, as well as record numbers when those cities host the Final Four.

In Detroit, paid attendance is expected to exceed 105,000 fans over the two sessions, eclipsing the prior record of 84,568 set in St. Louis in 1999. Houston will exceed 60,000 fans, placing it among the top five regional sites of all-time.

“Over the last 20 years, we’ve averaged more than 176,000 fans at our four regional sites, and this year we are going to beat that by approximately 75,000 people,” said Tom O’Connor, director of athletics at George Mason University and chair of the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee. “Those numbers are phenomenal and they speak to the growth and popularity of the championship. In Detroit and Houston, we’re obviously excited about our first look at the new layout. We’re building something special here and part of the process is learning from our coaches and student-athletes, the media, the fans, and our colleagues who work at each facility. Our goal is to have the best possible first-run.”

“The people in Phoenix and Charlotte have been wonderful as well, and they’ve been sold out for this event for several weeks,” O’Connor added. “We think the fans attending these games are going to have a memorable experience, and they are going to be a part of history.”

While more than 3.5 million people have attended regional competition in the last 20 years, one group of fans -- the students at each participating institution  --  stands to benefit the most from the new seating configuration starting with next year’s Final Four.

“In Detroit and Houston, we are testing for upcoming Final Fours where students will be front and center, starting in 2009,” said O’Connor. “Not only will they be close to the action, but thousands of college students will have the opportunity to attend the Final Four for a minimum price consistent with their budget. It’s only fair to those students, who are the most loyal supporters of the team throughout the season, and it brings the full collegiate atmosphere back to the Final Four in an excited way.”

-30-