Westgate, State Farm Stadium plan Final Four fun in Glendale for college basketball fans

Shawn Raymundo, Arizona Republic
·3 min read

The guest list for the Big Dance is set.

Men’s teams from 68 schools nationwide will square off for the 2024 March Madness tournament.

But only four will do-si-do their way to the Valley for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four next month.

When they do, they’ll bring swarms of college basketball fans to Glendale’s Westgate entertainment district and State Farm Stadium, in addition to downtown Phoenix, for a host of events.

With three days of activities being offered to celebrate the national championship games, which will be decided April 6-8, Glendale estimates that 140,000 people will visit the area.

Here’s what visitors can expect to find around the stadium and Westgate over the Final Four weekend:

Before the opening tip, festivities will get underway Friday, April 5. Starting at 10 a.m., fans can check out the Reese’s Men’s Final Four Friday at State Farm Stadium. There will be interactive activities and entertainment, as well as an opportunity to sit in on participating teams’ practice sessions.

State Farm Stadium also will host three days of the Men’s Final Four Tip-Off Tailgate. Semifinal and national championship game ticket holders are invited to the tailgate on Saturday, April 6, and Monday, April 8. The tailgate also will be open during the events of Final Four Friday.

The tailgate from the stadium’s Great Lawn, located at 1 Cardinals Drive, will have team pep rallies, musical performances and basketball-themed games. Food and beverages also will be available.

The tailgate will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. that Friday and from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. that Saturday. On that Monday, it will be open from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Over in Westgate, things will heat up Saturday morning, as ESPN’s College GameDay will set up its live broadcast from the fountain park area, near AMC Theatres, for rim-to-rim coverage of the day’s games.

On Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., visitors can follow the GameDay coverage for analysis and insight from the ESPN crew, as well as participate in the Fan Zone, an interactive experience for visitors to enjoy photo-ops and giveaways.

A limited number of Fan Zone guests also can get personalized basketballs designed by a live airbrush artist.

And for those looking to purchase team merch, Just Sports will have three locations around Westgate.

During certain times throughout the weekend, the Westgate District will charge for parking. Hours and prices include:

  • Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for $20 a vehicle.

  • Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. for $50 a vehicle.

  • Monday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. for $50 a vehicle.

To beat traffic, Westgate encourages visitors to arrive early. It also instructs guests not to bring in alcoholic beverages. Tailgating won’t be allowed in the Westgate parking lots either.

Those with questions about Westgate’s activities surrounding the Men’s Final Four can call 623-266-6693.

What about UA? Why Arizona basketball can reach Final Four in our 2024 March Madness bracket predictions

Shawn Raymundo covers the West Valley cities of Glendale, Peoria and Surprise. Reach him at sraymundo@gannett.com or follow him on X @ShawnzyTsunami.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Westgate, State Farm Stadium to host Final Four events in Glendale