The NCAA Men’s Final Four is returning to San Antonio in 2018.
Fans are invited to partake in the city’s 300th anniversary celebration. that coincides with the March 30 through April 2 national semifinal and championship games.
If you don’t have tickets to the games, there are still many things to to do this weekend in the Alamo City.
Semifinals and Championship Games
National Semifinals
Saturday, March 31
5:09 p.m. — No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 11 Loyola (Chicago) | TBS
7:49 p.m. — No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 1 Kansas | TBS
National Championship
Monday, April 2
8:20 p.m. — Semifinal winners | TBS
NCAA Final Four Fan Fest
If the games weren’t exciting enough, the Final Four is bringing a weekend jam-packed with events around San Antonio for residents and visitors of all ages. Sports fans, college students, families, music junkies: there is something for everyone!
Tip off your weekend with a trip to Final Four Fan Fest presented by Capital One. As you take your first steps through the Henry B.
Gonzalez Convention Center doors, you’ll be greeted by a sports wonderland of interactive games, special celebrity and athlete 
appearances, autograph signings, and much more!
Fan Fest is so much more than basketball. Knock it out of the park at Home Run Derby, participate in one of the free cheer clinics taking place over the weekend or make your way over to the rock wall and climb to the top to get a birds-eye view of the entire event! You will even have a chance to snap a selfie with the championship trophy!
Didn’t have enough time to see and do everything in one day? Don’t worry, Fan Fest is open all weekend!
Fan Fest is the best way to celebrate Final Four weekend in San Antonio. And with free entry for kids 12 and under, it’s affordable too! Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience!
March Madness Music Festival
The March Madness Music Festival began in 2010 and since then has hosted the likes of Pitbull, LL Cool J, Tim McGraw, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Buffett, Rihanna, and Sting.
March Madness Music Festival Event Schedule
All times local, central. All events, times and locations are subject to change.
Friday, March 30 – AT&T Block Party (4 – 10 p.m.)
4:00 pm – Doors Open
6:45 pm – Kelsea Ballerini
8:30 pm – Jason Aldean
Saturday, March 31 – Coca–Cola Music (2 – 10 p.m.)
2:00 pm – Doors Open
2:30 pm – Luis Fonsi
3:45 pm – Cold War Kids
5:00 pm – Watch Party: Semifinal Game 1
7:15pm – Imagine Dragons
Sunday, April 1 – Capital One JamFest (3 – 10 p.m.)
3:00 pm – Doors Open
3:45 pm – Daya
5:00 pm – Panic! At The Disco
6:30 pm – One Republic
8:30 pm – Maroon 5
I have been blessed to get tickets to 7 Final Fours through the lottery. It didn’t matter that seats were almost in the rafters or behind the Duke students who stand for the entire game. We were there. I think maybe only one other year when we tried did we not get tickets. There is nothing like the atmosphere of Final Four and March Madness. My first was San Antonio in 1998 when I was working there. My friend Judy was coming from St. Louis at take in all the activities. After I picked her up at the airport, something went wrong with my car. Talk about madness. So I had to rent one. I think we must have found the last available rental car in San Antonio thanks to Judy’s negotiating skills. She had been a United Way loaned executive and worked with Enterprise. She finally got us a car from them. We were at the Final 4 in Tampa in 1999, Indianapolis in 2000, San Antonio again in 2008, Detroit in 2009, Indianapolis again in 2010, and Houston in 2011. I am sorry I didn’t try for tickets for this year in San Antonio to take part in all the activities in person. I would love to be at Rio Rio on the Riverwalk. But I am there in spirit. Brad-thanks for bringing back those wonderful memories. I was listening to something yesterday on the radio about how March Madness is the only sporting event where your team can be defeated but at some point in the tournament you can be rooting for the team that defeated yours or for the Cinderella team. May the fairy tales continue!
Our granddaughter, Haley Minnick will graduate from
Loyola(Chicago) this spring/guess what team we are
Praying for full victory. Haley will spend 2018-19 teaching
English in Hong Kong.