I and 709 of my fellow classmates were selected in the Final Four ticket lottery.  I was also among the privileged few to be selected to go to Houston last year.  I like to think that like Miller, Jones, and Lamb, I am wiser for the experience and would like to share a few words of advice for my fellow students.

1) Write your entire Saturday off  

You will have absolutely no time to see anything in New Orleans as you will be in the Superdome for most of the day.  Saturday morning you will be required to pickup a wristband between 10am and noon and it will determine the where you sit.  If you are among the first 355 students to get a wristband you will be seated on the floor, if you are in the back half you will be in the upper level end zone.  After you get your wristband you will line back up at 2pm to enter the stadium and wait around three hours for the game to start.  Last year all students got a t-shirt, a lunch, and a chance to be on the pregame show.  Hopefully this year will be similar.

2) You can barely see anything on the court 

The seats on the floor and in the nosebleeds are equally awful but that’s why they are only $25.  On the floor your view is obstructed by photographers and cheerleaders who are on the raised court and the band who is in front of you.   I watched most of the first half of the UCONN game on the video board above the court and the second half from the Butler student section.  Also, you are strictly prohibited from standing on the chairs to improve your view.  The upper level is worse because you are 70 yards away from the court.  Again, I watched most of last years championship game on the video board.  If  when Kentucky wins on Saturday, all student seats will be on the floor.

3) It is an amazing experience

I know I have been a little harsh up above but attending the Final Four in college is a truly once in a lifetime experience (or in my case, twice in a lifetime).  To put things in perspective I missed my cousin’s wedding to go to Houston last year and my entire family understood.  Whenever someone asks me what it was like going to Houston last year I always respond “It was amazing… until we lost.”  I want to remove the last part of that statement this year.

Follow me on twitter @mulloyksr for updates from New Orleans

Happy anniversary Hannah and Chris.