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The NCAA Men's Final Four returns to New Orleans for the fifth time in 2012. Men's college basketball will again crown its national champion in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as the sport caps another run of "March Madness" in the building that changed the course of its championship event. Three decades ago, the Superdome ushered in the domed-stadium era of the Final Four. New Orleans has been the site of some of the Final Four's most memorable moments, including Michael Jordan's game-winning jump shot for the University of North Carolina in 1982 and another game-winning jump five years later by Keith Smart of Indiana University.

Although tickets for the games are sold out in advance, there is access to ancillary events, including Friday practice sessions, fan fest and concerts. Tulane University is the host institution for the Final Four, working in conjunction with the Allstate Sugar Bowl and Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation. 

Events schedule

March 31, 2012: Semifinals at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome

April 2, 2012: National Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome

 March 30 – April 1, 2012

The Big Dance Concert Series at Woldenberg Park (Free)

March 30 – April 2, 2012

Bracket Town: The Ultimate Final Four Fan Fest at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

Tickets on sale February 1, 2012