Next Stop: Dallas in '86
In making the presentation that led to the awarding of the 1986 National Collegiate Athletic Association's basketball championship to the City of Dallas, tournament general chairman John Scovell said one of his concerns was convincing the NCAA committee that Texas no longer limited itself to two sports  football and spring football.
Though Scovell is a former quarterback at Texas Tech University, is the son of longtime Cotton Bowl selection committee chairman Field Scovell and was serving as president of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, the basketball representatives accepted his invitation to hold the 48th semifinals and championship game at Reunion Arena in Dallas.
"The way things turned out, we were prophets about what is happening with basketball in Texas," Scovell said. "Southern Methodist University, which is the host school for the tournament, nearly beat Georgetown in the NCAA tournament last year. Houston went to the Final Four three straight years. Arkansas has been in the tournament every year and the Dallas Mavericks have been among the leaders in attendance in the pro league."
By ISH HALEY Dallas Times-Herald
In 1971, Houston was the site for the other NCAA basketball final held in Texas. Dallas' Reunion Arena is the site for the
1985 Southwest Conference tournament, the 1985 NCAA Midwest Regional, the
1986 NBA All-Star Game and the 1986 Final Four.
"The NCAA tournament is an enormous undertaking." said Jack Beckman, who manages 17.007-seat Reunion Arena, which opened in 1980. "We've been working on getting the NCAA championships here ever since our building was completed, and we've never stopped working on it."
Dallas was host for the 1984 Republican National Convention, which brought 20,000 visitors to the city. Included were 11,000 media representatives.
"Because of the media focus on the basketball tournament, we're facing the same situation the city had for the convention," Scovell said. "Every major news outlet in the country will again be visiting our city. Because the ticket demands for the tournament are so great, the vast majority of basketball fans will learn about the tournament and Dallas through the media."
The NCAA already has selected headquarters hotels for the four participating
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teams. The NCAA headquarters is the Hyatt Regency, which is located adjacent to Reunion Arena. The National Association of Basketball Coaches will convene at the Loews Anatole. site of the 1984 NCAA Convention.
"This is an unbelievable event. It might be one of the toughest tickets in all of sports," Scovell said. "Our city never has experienced a Super Bowl, but this must be in the same category. The only comparable thing we've had here has been the Republican Convention."
Scovell is working with the Chamber of Commerce, SMU and the Mayor's office, finalizing plans. Dallas representatives have traveled to Final Fours in New Orleans, Albuquerque and Seattle and will be in Lexington, Kentucky this year.
"We know we've got a tiger by the tail,' Scovell said. "But we also believe we know how to get things done in Dallas. I think that everyone who was here for a Cotton Bowl or the Republican Convention can attest to this. The NCAA tournament is a tremendous opportunity for the City of Dallas. But we'll be ready to show everyone this truly is a basketball town."