HARRIS COUNTY - HSA INSIDER
A weekly look at all things Houston sports from the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority: Big things are ahead
Patti Smith
Jan 5, 2018, 8:21 am
The Final Four in 2016 was a huge success. Courtesy photo
The Harris County – Houston Sports Authority Insider will take you inside Houston Sports each Friday because #WeAreHoustonSports!
A new year and a few more things that could have Houston sports fans celebrating.
Yes, we’re just a little more than month away from the inaugural star-studded Houston Sports Awards Feb 8 at the Hilton Americas and more than excited, but we’re talking longer term here.
Sometime this summer, the NCAA will determine the cities that will host the Men’s Final Four from 2023-2026 and the Women’s Final Four from 2021-2024 and, yes, Houston is in the running for both.
Doug Hall, Vice President of Special Projects for the Houston Sports Authority, said the group submitted the Men’s Final Four bids in mid-December and is putting the finishing touches on the Women’s Final Four bid, due this spring.
Houston drew great reviews as host for the 2011 and 2016 Men’s Final Fours, but, despite several bids, has never been selected to host a Women’s Final Four. They are, without question, different events.
The men’s event is a stadium event that draws incredible crowds. Hall estimates there are only about a dozen cities in the country that have the facilities to host the men.
The women’s event is smaller, more of an arena event and opens up many more potential host cities. Hall said the proposal would make Toyota Center available for the event.
The 2016 Final Four Championship game came down to Kris Jenkins’ three-pointer at the buzzer that gave Villanova a 77-74 win over North Carolina. It was Villanova’s first national title since 1985.
At the time, Dan Gavitt, the NCAA vice president of men’s basketball championships, calls the game “one of the best national championship games in tournament history.” The event attendance total was 149,845 – at the time, the second highest attendance in Men’s Final Four history. The championship game drew 74,340, also, at the time, the second-highest in championship game history.
The 2017 Final Four in Phoenix pushed both those numbers to third on the all-time list, but with the scope of the event changing annually, it is no surprise.
“We certainly have built on the success of the 2011 and 2016 Men’s Final Fours, but part of our proposal is toward the future,’’ Hall said. “The tournament continues to evolve. It’s a long way away and we expect that it will grow in size and scope.’’
Gavitt also noted Houston “showed the teams and fans Southern hospitality and put on terrific fan events, including youth clinics, the March Madness Music Festival and the Final Four Fan Fest.”
You can expect Houston to keep looking forward – it’s what made the 2017 Final Four special and Super Bowl LI one of the best ever.
Like Hall said, it’s all evolving. And if Houston manages to land one or both of the events? By 2021-2026, those events will look different than 2018 events.
Houston will be ready.
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The Houston Astros return to action Tuesday night in West Sacramento, looking to even their series with the Athletics after a tough loss in the opener. Though the Astros remain in first place in the AL West at 41-31, they’ve yet to find their full rhythm on the road, entering this matchup with a 14-18 record away from home.
Houston turns to recently recalled right-hander Jason Alexander, who will be making his fifth appearance of the season — but his first in an Astros uniform. All four of his previous outings in 2025 came with the A's, where he posted an 18.00 ERA across six innings.
With the Astros riding a recent stretch of strong pitching — boasting a 2.60 team ERA over their last 10 games — Alexander will try to keep the rotation’s momentum going.
Oakland counters with JP Sears, a lefty who’s logged a 5-5 record and 5.08 ERA this season. While the numbers don’t jump off the page, Sears has shown flashes of dependability and will be facing a Houston lineup that’s starting to click. The Astros are hitting .261 over their last 10 games and have gone 13-4 in games where they’ve launched at least two home runs — a trend they’ll hope continues in this one.
The Athletics, meanwhile, come in at 30-44 overall and 13-23 at home. But despite their struggles, they’ve gone 6-4 over their last 10, getting solid production from their pitching staff, which has posted a 3.06 ERA during that stretch. Oakland’s offense has been led by Brent Rooker, who enters the game with 15 home runs and a .491 slugging percentage. Max Muncy has also been a bright spot lately, with four home runs and 11 RBIs in his last 10 games.
For Houston, veteran second baseman/left fielder Jose Altuve continues to lead the charge. The former MVP has 10 doubles and 11 home runs on the year and remains one of the most reliable bats in the Astros lineup.
Tuesday night marks the fourth meeting of the season between these division rivals, with the Athletics currently holding a 1-0 edge in the series. First pitch is set for 10:05 p.m. EDT, as the Astros look to get back on track and reassert their dominance in the AL West.
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