ncaa - Travel Deals

You don’t have to be a huge fan of college basketball to know it’s March Madness time – from the constant barrage of advertising to the office pools, it’s kind of hard to miss. But you have to be a certain kind of dedicated fan to actually go the games live – right?

Not necessarily.

Some sports are easier to watch on TV, but basketball is one that is enhanced by being in the arena during the games. And when the stakes are as high as the NCAA Championship, the atmosphere just can’t permeate a television screen. So whether or not your team is a Cinderella team that just feels lucky to have made the playoffs, one of the Final Four, or somewhere in between, seeing the NCAA March Madness games in person is a great experience.

The trouble is that if you’re waiting to see where your team is playing (or if your team advances) before you make travel plans, you could get caught out. Last-minute travel is notoriously expensive, so obviously you’re better off booking as soon as you possibly can. We’re here to help, too, with some links to help you find the best deals on trips to the various cities hosting the NCAA tournament games this year.

>> The NCAA Championship Tournament in 2012 runs from March 13-April 2

For some of those so-called Cinderella teams, just making it to the NCAA playoffs is a dream come true. But for four teams, the dream doesn’t end when the playoffs begin. Four teams will make it through to a coveted place in the NCAA Final Four – and if your team is one of them, you’ll want to be there.

Even if you weren’t able to make the trip to see them play earlier in the tournament, if your team is one of the four to make it that far, you can’t miss out on the chance to see them go all the way. These opportunities don’t come around every year, even for teams that have good records in the NCAA March Madness tournament – one thing goes slightly wrong and before you know it your season is over.

In other words, when it’s your team filling one of those last four bracket slots, you’ve got to be there to cheer them on in person. And if you’ve already used up all your vacation days with trips to the First Four, Second Round, or Third Round and then to the regional semis and finals, then start using sick days. This is serious, after all.

Here are some tips to finding 2012 NCAA Final Four travel deals.

>> Tickets for the NCAA Final Four are more likely to sell out before the teams are even set, so if you think there’s a chance you’ll go to the games you should scoop up some tickets as soon as possible.

When you’re watching the games leading up to the NCAA March Madness tournament and you’re hoping your team makes the playoffs, it seems like you have to wait forever for those games to actually happen. But if you’re lucky enough to have your team make it through the first and second rounds to the regional games, there are only a few short days between the second round and the regionals – so you’ve really got to be on your toes if you’re planning to go to the games.

Let’s say you opted to cheer your team on in person during the NCAA tournament’s first, second, and third rounds. And let’s say they did well enough to advance. You’re not going to let them down now, are you? What if you’re the good luck charm that helped them seal the deal and move on? Keep the momentum going in the right direction. Put in for a few more days off and make some last-minute travel plans to see your team through the regionals. Who knows, maybe their good luck charm (i.e. YOU) will help them on to the Final Four.

Here are the cities and arenas where the 2012 regional semi-finals and finals will be played, along with links to help you find last-minute flight deals and hotel rooms for your trip.

>> And don’t forget to grab tickets to the NCAA games as soon as you can – type “NCAA” into the “Keyword” box and you’ll get a list of games to choose from.