Will Sacramento Ever Host NCAA Basketball Again?

Last September, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said on his blog that Arco Arena was no longer considered an ideal place to hold NCAA basketball regional playoffs. Compared to some of the newer NBA arena that are hosting such games, this may have been inevitable. The city is finally getting closer to building a new arena near downtown, which is bound to bring the NCAA back.

That being said, it's too bad the NCAA women's basketball regionals didn't attract more of a crowd, considered they'll be the last playoff games that will be played at Arco for some time. After all, Stanford's there, and that should have brought in more fans. However, look at this....



Only the lower sections were available, while the men's games three years before sold out all of the seats. Sure, for 20 bucks you get a fantastic view of the action that you'd never get if you were watching the Kings play. I just think the whole arena should have sold out. Heck, when the arena hosted the NCAA women's volleyball final, that sold out.
Still Arco is a basic, generic arena back when you could do well with such buildings. Now, it's all about the luxury suites, bells, whistles, sports bars and such. They're about as important to an arena as a floor. You should see the concession stands around and inside AT&T Park, or stand outside Staples Center. That proves my point.
So, Arco Arena II not only has to have more seats and luxury boxes, but a mall, too. The important thing, of course, is that it gets built, period. The unspeakable phrase, "Las Vegas Kings", isn't heard much these days. Once ground is broken next year, hopefully, it never will be heard again. However, we will hear from college basketball fans from out of town...a lot.

Now, here's some of my faves...



This was not shown on TV, because there were many signs anyway. This teaches me to think fan signs can cover the stands as much as in the WWE. Sorry, Knights of Good.



You know, those shirts should be plugging a horror movie. According to Georgia's basketball team, it was...namely them getting clobbered by Stanford



I can't recall Stanford's band playing the National Anthem anywhere. That's why I called this the "ultimate in bi-partisanship".



One of the few good action shots I got.



Knitting during a basketball game? Baseball, sure, but....Well, they were waiting for the second game, Xavier vs. Gonzaga



Maybe we should fear the Tree, but it should be in an ESPN ad



I doubt she is taking my picture

I hardly ever come to Arco because I don't usually have a reason. I just hope if we do get a new arena near the rail yards, I'll have a reason