Michigan. Louisville. Wichita State. Syracuse.
These four universities have punched their tickets and are heading down to Atlanta for the Final Four. Michigan hasn’t advanced this far in the Big Dance since a team dubbed the Fab Five. Louisville is making consecutive trips after participating last year in New Orleans. Wichita State, the lone Cinderella remaining, follows the trend of a ninth seed or higher reaching the national semifinals within the last three seasons. And a decade has gone by from the time when Syracuse’s last appearance led by someone named Carmelo Anthony.
Each of these lucky fan bases has every reason to celebrate making it to this point. The Final Four, in it by itself, is a marquee occasion in the same ilk as the Super Bowl or NBA All-Star Weekend. Just like the organizers of those events increased their social media and digital efforts, this collegiate postseason finale prepares to match the technological outreach.
As alumni and students arrive to Atlanta, though, the NCAA launched event-based apps to provide a more convenient experience. They’re currently available for free at the App Store and Google Play.
The prominent features belonging to the NCAA Final Four Atlanta App presented by AT&T include:
AT&T Fan Zone: This facet promotes the AT&T Prize pursuit, which is a scavenger hunt that fans must finish challenges scattered around the city in order to win prizes.
Coke Zero Insider’s Guide: A traveler’s survival guide that informs users on the day’s events over the weekend, such as Powerade’s 3v3 Basketball Tournament, Big Shot Hangout presented by Coke Zero and Buffalo Wild Wings—shooting drills, video games, and an eating contest—and autograph sessions by Dennis Scott and Dominique Wilkins.
Daily Event Schedule: This schedule covers the larger events going around. Final Four Friday is when fans gather inside the Georgia Dome for a free open practice viewing. The Big Dance Concert Series is a three-day, free outdoor concert from Friday to Sunday, which will be highlighted by Zac Brown Band, Ludacris, and Sting. And Bracket Town is an indoor hodgepodge of Final Four booths and experiences, akin to the NBA’s Jam Session.
Social Stream: Any app can’t be without a hub to receive official tweets and engage in the conversation.
Merchandise: A map of local vendors where fans can get their gear for the Final Four or after the title game; e-commerce for these products is also available.
The ladies, too, have their own NCAA Women’s Final Four App for those attendees in New Orleans instead. Both properties share the same main features, but one that’s different is the Women’s Final Four Trivia; so fans can test their historical knowledge of previous Final Fours.
“As college basketball fans gather in Atlanta and New Orleans, the NCAA Final Four mobile apps are the perfect guide to all of the events and activities in both host cities. We are excited to expand our mobile product offering to include NCAA Championship event apps. When combined with NCAA March MadnessLive and extensive game coverage on NCAA.com, NCAA Digital has both Final Fours covered,” said Mark Johnson, Vice President of Business Operations for Turner Sports and NCAA Digital.
Moreover, the NCAA has launched microsites for the Men’s Final Four and Women’s Final Four to further augment and supply additional information surrounding these two major spectacles.
Overall, these apps serve the practical purposes that fans need during their stay in Atlanta. For those watching from home, however, there isn’t much exclusive content or engagement opportunities. Aesthetically, these event-based apps resemble more like the 2013 Discover BCS Championship Game or the SB XLVII than Simple Bracket or the NBA All-Star 2013 App—a completely stark divergence to NCAA March Madness Live even. The real success and unique user experience derives from the latter aforementioned collegiate app.