Thu March 6, 2008
OKC wants to go after Women's Final Four
By Jenni Carlson
Staff Writer
Tim Brassfield has revised his wish list.
The Oklahoma City All Sports Association executive director has long believed he could go after just about any sporting event. The Big 12 basketball tournaments and NCAA basketball regionals are evidence of that.
But with Tuesday's passage of the Ford Center renovation tax, Brassfield is set to seek even bigger jewels for Oklahoma City.
"Women's Final Four would be at the top of our list," he said. "I just believe that event would fit our city perfectly."
Oklahoma City has become a wildly successful host for the Women's College World Series. Last spring, the weeklong softball tournament drew 62,463 fans, shattering the previous record by more than 16,000.
And as Brassfield is quick to point out, no Oklahoma team made the field.
Could the Women's Final Four be as successful as the Women's College World Series?
The next available Women's Final Four would be in 2012. Tampa hosts this year followed by St. Louis in 2010 and Indianapolis in 2011.
The Women's Final Four isn't the only event that Brassfield believes could come to Oklahoma City because of the Ford Center renovations.
The NCAA wrestling championships came to the Ford Center in 2006 after a 14-year absence. Brassfield would like to see Oklahoma City become a regular stop with the tournament coming to town every three or four years.
Likewise for the Big 12 basketball tournaments, which return again next year.
Another event high on Brassfield's wish list is the Women's Frozen Four. The All Sports Association bid on the NCAA women's ice hockey championship a few years ago but failed to receive the March event.
"It's tough to get them to come west," Brassfield said, adding that it wouldn't be unprecedented as Denver and Anaheim, Calif., have hosted the Women's Frozen Four. "But sometimes with these events, it's good to get in line. We'll (bid) again when that comes open."
Brassfield believes Oklahoma City has never been in better position to land such sporting events than after voters passed the Ford Center renovation tax.
"What it does is it levels the playing field," he said. "We always had the organization and the city buy-in ... to go after anything. But it puts me on a level playing field with other arenas in the region. I will not be fighting with a short stick."
While Brassfield also has designs on a Women's All-College — a women's basketball version of the All-College Classic the day before the men's event — the top of his wish list remains the Women's Final Four.
Oklahoma City will have something of an audition, too. Later this month, then again next spring, it will host an NCAA women's basketball regional. This year will be a regional final with the winner advancing to the Women's Final Four. Next year will be first- and second-round games.
Advance sales for this year's regional passed the 5,000-ticket market Thursday.
A year ago, Dallas sold 657 tickets before its women's basketball regional began.
If one of the state schools is placed in the Oklahoma City regional, ticket sales could skyrocket. So might Oklahoma City's hopes for a Women's Final Four.
"That's why these are so important to us that these do well," Brassfield said of the women's regionals. "If we can continue rotating an event through here, then every March and April we have a huge event for our city."
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