Caitlin Clark Leads The Hype-Train For Cleveland, Cinderella NC State Is Best Story In Arizona

We could be on the brink of witnessing one of the highest grossing Final Fours in both Cleveland and Phoenix this weekend. 

After witnessing one of the best women's games this season between LSU and Iowa on Monday night, the storyline of Caitlin Clark finishing the job in Cleveland has driven Hawkeye fans to gobble up tickets for the Final Four that starts on Friday. The only aspect of this upcoming event that would've made this even greater was if the Tigers and Hawkeyes had actually played for a national championship. 

The question is whether Cleveland is ready for the chaos.  Hotels were booked months ago, rental car agencies are running on fumes when it comes to inventory, and tickets are going to cost you a fortune. But to even get to this point shows us all how much the women's game has taken off from a popularity standpoint. 

As for the men's side, the story is right on-par with the women, with Glendale, Arizona preparing for a takeover of basketball fans hoping to see their teams cut down the nets. And don't worry, there's plenty of star power in the desert as well. 

UConn, NC State Have Both Men's And Women's Final Four Berths

For the 23rd time in his career, Geno Auriemma has guided his UConn huskies to the Final Four. While at the same time, Dan Hurley is looking for his second straight national title on the men's side, setting up some hard decisions from fans of both teams. But this might be the best problem to have for the UConn athletic department, and they aren't alone when it comes to spreading love to both final four events. 

Knowing the circumstances surrounding the North Carolina State men's program heading into the ACC Tournament last month, this run to the Final Four has certainly been one that will be hard to forget. The lovable DJ Burns has taken over college basketball with his big smile and his skills in the paint. It's hard to find a player in this Final Four with more fan support than Burns, who has captured the hearts of fans on this incredible nine-game winning streak. 

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 23: DJ Burns Jr. #30 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack reacts during the first half of a gameagainst the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 23, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

The storylines write themselves with NC State also joining the party with both men's and women's programs participating this weekend in the Final Four. There is a scenario in plain sight that could see either UConn or NC State celebrating two different national champions over the course of 24 hours. 

So, What Are Tickets Going For In Both Events? It Will Be Expensive, But Electric

If you are making the decision whether you should travel for either one of these Final Four events, all I can say is be prepared to spend some money. The men's side is getting an Alabama team that has never made it to the final four, a Purdue squad that is led by Zach Edey, along with NC State bringing their Cinderella story to Phoenix. We already know UConn fans are going to make the trip, given that they are the odds-on favorite to win the whole thing, so the ticket resale market is going to be tough to navigate. 

While each school is allotted a certain amount of tickets, those usually go to the season ticket holders and big-money donors. So, your best bet is to scour the secondary market for a chance to get into the game. Luckily for the men's side, they still play these games in football stadiums, which is a horrible idea, but that's a story for another day. 

According to Stubhub, it will cost fans anywhere from $442-$900 just to get in the game, with seats that will most likely be used to watch the jumbotron hanging above the court. There's a bit of a price difference on the Ticketmaster resale site, but when you throw in all the fees, it comes out to around the same. If you're looking for a hotel within 15 miles of the stadium, good luck. Traversing the internet on Tuesday morning, most hotels in the Phoenix area are charging upwards of $700 per night, so you might have better luck booking an AirBnB, if that's your thing. 

Caitlin Clark (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

As for the women's Final Four in Cleveland, you might need to sell a kidney to afford this upcoming event. Yes, I know that the women play in a basketball arena, compared to the men playing in a football stadium, so let's get that out of the way right now. None of this actually matters when it comes to comparing prices, but I'd bet if they put the women's final four in a football stadium this year, they'd certainly sell 40,000 tickets. 

Heck, there were over 60,000 Iowa fans that packed into their football stadium before the regular season began for an exhibition match-up. So don't tell me that they couldn't pull it off this season if put in the right location. Tickets for the event that starts on Friday night are going for anywhere between $400-$900 for upper-level seats inside the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, according to Stubhub. 

Plenty Of Storylines To Carry These Two Final Four's 

How in the world will the officials handle Zach Edey and DJ Burns banging hats in the paint on Saturday night? Can Alabama pull-off what feels like the impossible and beat a scorching hot UConn squad that is aiming for back-to-back national titles? 

In case you were wondering, this might be one of the most fascinating final weekends of college basketball in recent memory, thanks to the leading characters in this television event. As Caitlin Clark looks to add to her legacy with a national championship, South Carolina and Dawn Staley are hoping to wreck the party. I get the attention on Clark, but I think some people might be overlooking the Gamecocks, who are undefeated by the way. 

The anticipation for Catilin Clark versus Paige Buecker in the late game on Friday night is already reaching a fever pitch. Not only do we get one of the most dominant programs in the history of women's college basketball with UConn and Geno, you add gasoline to the fire with the best player on the women's side in Catlin Clark. So, for all of those wondering if the LSU-Iowa hype could be repeated, just tune into the game on Friday evening between these two. 

The NC State story is fascinating by itself, with the Wollfpack making their first trip back to the Final Four since 1983, when Jim Valvano cut down the nets after a thrilling win over Houston. If you believe in destiny, this men's team is one win away from potentially making history, again. On the women's side, after beating No.1 Texas and clinching their own berth to the final four, this squad actually shouldn't surprise many folks. After winning three ACC Tournament titles in the past five seasons, head coach Wes Moore has his team past the elite eight, and will face the Gamecocks on Friday night in the first game. 

The storylines of this upcoming weekend are obviously centered around the star-power of Caitlin Clark, South Carolina's fight for another title, UConn looking to take back what was theirs, while NC State is trying to wreck the party in Cleveland.

While on the men's side, there are a lot of college basketball fans hoping to see NC State continue this magical run towards a national championship. We know what UConn has left in the tank, along with Purdue, with both teams becoming some type of villain on their run towards the Final Four. But as the final horn goes off on Monday night in Glendale, it could actually be Alabama that is cutting down the nets, one year after their season was marred in controversy. 

No matter which city you are in this weekend, Cleveland or Glendale, you're bound to see history made once again. Let the hype begin.