Mark me on this.

LSU will not be in the national championship game for at least the next 2 seasons. Why? New Orleans. When the title game is in New Orleans, LSU nearly always makes it and usually wins it. When the title game is not in New Orleans, LSU has never made it.

Below is all of the national championships since 1998 played in New Orleans and, coincidentally, includes all of LSU’s national championship appearances.

BCS 1999: Florida St defeated Virginia Tech
BCS 2003: LSU defeated Oklahoma
BCS 2007: LSU defeated Ohio St
BCS 2011: Alabama defeated LSU
CFP 2019: LSU defeated Clemson

Next 2 seasons, the title game is in Atlanta and Miami.

Something else strange? Using the same time frame (Fall 1998 onward) for Connecticut men's basketball. The UConn Huskies 5 national titles have only been in Florida and Texas (bolded years below). Below are all the Final Fours in Florida and Texas during that time frame plus future locations in italics.

1999 St. Petersburg, Florida* (Connecticut, Duke, Michigan St, Ohio St)
2004 San Antonio, Texas (Connecticut, Georgia Tech, Duke, Oklahoma St)
2008 San Antonio, Texas (Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina, UCLA)
2011 Houston, Texas (Connecticut, Butler, Kentucky, Virginia Commonwealth)
2014 Arlington, Texas (Connecticut, Kentucky, Florida, Wisconsin)
2016 Houston, Texas (Villanova, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Syracuse)
2018 San Antonio, Texas (Villanova, Michigan, Kansas, Loyola - Chicago)
2023 Houston, Texas (Connecticut, San Diego St, Miami, Florida Atlantic)
2025 San Antonio, Texas
2030 Arlington, Texas

* The only Final Four ever to be played in the State of Florida. None are on the future schedule.

Even Crazier is outside of Kansas 2008. A Big East team won final 4 in Texas.

(01-10-2024 11:31 AM)ccbfan Wrote:  Even Crazier is outside of Kansas 2008. A Big East team won final 4 in Texas.

It's really strange! So we should expect more in 2025 and 2030!

Neat stat. I tend to the having the title game in your back yard is a jinx but that obviously hasn’t been the case with LSU. Very cool.

(01-10-2024 11:21 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  Something else strange? Using the same time frame (Fall 1998 onward) for Connecticut men's basketball. The UConn Huskies 5 national titles have only been in Florida and Texas (bolded years below). Below are all the Final Fours in Florida and Texas during that time frame plus future locations in italics.

1999 St. Petersburg, Florida* (Connecticut, Duke, Michigan St, Ohio St)
2004 San Antonio, Texas (Connecticut, Georgia Tech, Duke, Oklahoma St)
2008 San Antonio, Texas (Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina, UCLA)
2011 Houston, Texas (Connecticut, Butler, Kentucky, Virginia Commonwealth)
2014 Arlington, Texas (Connecticut, Kentucky, Florida, Wisconsin)
2016 Houston, Texas (Villanova, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Syracuse)
2018 San Antonio, Texas (Villanova, Michigan, Kansas, Loyola - Chicago)
2023 Houston, Texas (Connecticut, San Diego St, Miami, Florida Atlantic)
2025 San Antonio, Texas
2030 Arlington, Texas

* The only Final Four ever to be played in the State of Florida. None are on the future schedule.

While I am justifiably proud of my state, that seems like a disproportionate amount of final 4s that we're getting. Average of 1 every 3 years from 2004 to 2030.

(01-10-2024 12:04 PM)bryanw1995 Wrote:  

(01-10-2024 11:21 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  Something else strange? Using the same time frame (Fall 1998 onward) for Connecticut men's basketball. The UConn Huskies 5 national titles have only been in Florida and Texas (bolded years below). Below are all the Final Fours in Florida and Texas during that time frame plus future locations in italics.

1999 St. Petersburg, Florida* (Connecticut, Duke, Michigan St, Ohio St)
2004 San Antonio, Texas (Connecticut, Georgia Tech, Duke, Oklahoma St)
2008 San Antonio, Texas (Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina, UCLA)
2011 Houston, Texas (Connecticut, Butler, Kentucky, Virginia Commonwealth)
2014 Arlington, Texas (Connecticut, Kentucky, Florida, Wisconsin)
2016 Houston, Texas (Villanova, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Syracuse)
2018 San Antonio, Texas (Villanova, Michigan, Kansas, Loyola - Chicago)
2023 Houston, Texas (Connecticut, San Diego St, Miami, Florida Atlantic)
2025 San Antonio, Texas
2030 Arlington, Texas

* The only Final Four ever to be played in the State of Florida. None are on the future schedule.

While I am justifiably proud of my state, that seems like a disproportionate amount of final 4s that we're getting. Average of 1 every 3 years from 2004 to 2030.

As a proud Texan myself, our great state hosts a lot of championships.

Interestingly enough, from 1985 to 1998 (the rest of the 64+ school tournament era), Texas only hosted 2 Final Fours (1986 Dallas and 1998 San Antonio). Houston hosted the Final Four in 1971.

(01-10-2024 12:42 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  

(01-10-2024 12:04 PM)bryanw1995 Wrote:  

(01-10-2024 11:21 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  Something else strange? Using the same time frame (Fall 1998 onward) for Connecticut men's basketball. The UConn Huskies 5 national titles have only been in Florida and Texas (bolded years below). Below are all the Final Fours in Florida and Texas during that time frame plus future locations in italics.

1999 St. Petersburg, Florida* (Connecticut, Duke, Michigan St, Ohio St)
2004 San Antonio, Texas (Connecticut, Georgia Tech, Duke, Oklahoma St)
2008 San Antonio, Texas (Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina, UCLA)
2011 Houston, Texas (Connecticut, Butler, Kentucky, Virginia Commonwealth)
2014 Arlington, Texas (Connecticut, Kentucky, Florida, Wisconsin)
2016 Houston, Texas (Villanova, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Syracuse)
2018 San Antonio, Texas (Villanova, Michigan, Kansas, Loyola - Chicago)
2023 Houston, Texas (Connecticut, San Diego St, Miami, Florida Atlantic)
2025 San Antonio, Texas
2030 Arlington, Texas

* The only Final Four ever to be played in the State of Florida. None are on the future schedule.

While I am justifiably proud of my state, that seems like a disproportionate amount of final 4s that we're getting. Average of 1 every 3 years from 2004 to 2030.

As a proud Texan myself, our great state hosts a lot of championships.

Interestingly enough, from 1985 to 1998 (the rest of the 64+ school tournament era), Texas only hosted 2 Final Fours (1986 Dallas and 1998 San Antonio). Houston hosted the Final Four in 1971.

3 big stadiums, airline hubs at DFW, DAL, IAH, and HOU, lots of hotel rooms in all three cities.

The Alamodome, however, was passed over for future Final Fours unless it gets some updates. Its last FF will be in 2025.

https://www.sacurrent.com/arts/report-nc...r-32484592

It's totally random that the years of UConn's tournament runs coincide with Final Fours hosted in Texas.

Likewise, it's even more random that LSU's national championship games have been played in its backyard. Ask Oklahoma and Ohio State fans about playing LSU in the Superdome for a national championship. As for that 2019 LSU team, they would have beaten any team anywhere. That was one of the best teams in the history of the sport.

I attended the 2018 Final Four at the Alamodome. The set-up with the Riverwalk and the Alamodome being within walking distance of all those hotels on the Riverwalk was perfect. The riverboat tours at night were mesmerizing, especially with some buildings having Final Four decor on their windows for the 4 teams.

I can see why San Antonio is so attractive to organizers. Alamodome was showing some age, and some of the sightlines felt a mile away.

I PREDICT THAT NORTHWESTERN WILL NOT MAKE THE TITLE GAME FOR 2+ YEARS !!!