'Exceeded Expectations': Final Four Weekend Generates $143M For Minnesota
The final numbers are in, and organizers say the Final Four in Minneapolis was officially a success.
The final numbers are in, and organizers say the Final Four in Minneapolis was officially a success.
More than 72,000 fans attended both the Final Four and National Championship games.
The Final Four is over, but the effect the tournament had on the city of Minneapolis is just beginning.
Now that the games are over, it'll take a little time to calculate all the money visitors spent, but the host committee has an idea of what to expect.
The NCAA men's basketball season came to an end Monday night after Virginia Cavaliers defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 85-77, in overtime at the Championship Game of the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
If you've spent anytime downtown, you'll know that Virginia and Texas Tech fans have traveled well.
Fran Fraschilla is a veteran of many Final Fours who also was in Minneapolis in 1992 and 2001.
This year's NCAA Tournament championship between Texas Tech and Virginia will be a more defensive affair than last year's shooting match.
The NCAA Tournament will take an ugly turn in its final or, depending on your perspective, be a masterpiece in defensive basketball.
The parties at the Texas Tech and UVA hotels went until the wee hours of the morning, and now fans are spending the day getting ready for the showdown.
Sunday's Final Four Dribble event has been moved indoors due to weather, according to Minneapolis police.
Through the cold and the rain, some people waited since 12 a.m. to see the three brothers play.
The Final Four has come to Minneapolis three times previously before -- in 1951, 1992 and 2001.
Virginia, the only No. 1 seed left in the bracket, is in Minneapolis to make a new kind of history after its momentous first-round fail against No. 16 seed UMBC a year ago.
It isn't just the NCAA Final Four in town this weekend. The 3X3U Championship is also here, at the Mall of America.
The free March Madness Music Series tipped off on Friday night at the Minneapolis Armory.
The NCAA Tip-Off Tailgate is similar to what visitors experienced during the Super Bowl, only a touch smaller, fewer people and several degrees warmer!
They've been to 10 Final Fours in school history, and it shows by the way their fans travel.
You know his legendary voice. CBS Sports commentator Jim Nantz will call his 29th Final Four this weekend.
De'Andre Hunter, the Virginia Cavaliers' small forward, has helped lead his team to the Final Four, and could be an NBA Draft lottery pick.
It's a mobile operation that includes a crew of 650, and nearly 100 cameras on and around the court.
Braden Burke sat at his stall finishing off the last remnants of his lunch as reporters filled the Michigan State locker room.
U.S. Bank Stadium is serving up food this weekend inspired by the teams who will take the court in downtown Minneapolis.
As basketball fans begin to land in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, crews are hard at work making sure attractions on Nicollet Mall like concert stages, news sets and a gigantic Ferris Wheel are ready.
For some basketball fans, this weekend could be their first trip back to Minneapolis in 18 years. So how has the city changed?
High temperatures are going to hit the lower 40s as most of the state stays dry throughout the day.
Since its start, Free Guitars 4 Kids has given away about 2,500 guitars to kids in underserved communities across the country.
Democrats say they're concerned or scared Trump will threaten their rights, but fewer than half feel motivated to oppose him.
Car dealers will inspect and replace the control unit and a fuse if needed, as well as update software.
The accident happened just after 10:30 p.m. Saturday near Chicago Avenue and Ninth Street South.
The accident happened just after 10:30 p.m. Saturday near Chicago Avenue and Ninth Street South.
The shooting happened on the 1500 block of Lake Street East just before 8:30 p.m.
Inside Catholic Charities St Paul Opportunity Center, local physicians, surgeons, and lawyers gathered to support people experiencing homelessness.
On Saturday, it was a jam packed house chamber, despite zero session. This time, filled with young adults.
Police are investigating a fatal shooting overnight Saturday near the 2400 block of 17 Avenue South. Minneapolis police say they responded to a 911 call around 4:45 a.m. on reports of gunshots and a man down in the middle of the street.
A man is dead and another seriously injured in a head-on crash in Independence.
Rochester police are investigating a homicide that happened Thursday evening. The shooting happened just before 7pm near 10th Street Southeast and 1st Avenue Southeast.
Authorities recovered multiple guns and a "significant amount of ammunition" from the home of a man accused of threatening his neighbor over her sexual orientation, charges say.
Minnesota will once again be one of the top states in the country for voter turnout.
State championship football games are happening all day long at U.S. Bank Stadium Friday.
Authorities are urging a Wisconsin man accused of faking his death and fleeing to Europe to come home and spend the holidays with his wife and three children.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is grappling with a case affecting whether the swing state's nonpartisan top elections official can remain in her post despite not being reappointed and confirmed by the state Senate.
Documents say Steven Williams resigned from the Prescott, Wisconsin police force "in lieu of termination."
An attorney representing a conservative prosecutor struggled Monday to convince Wisconsin's liberal-leaning Supreme Court to reactivate the state's 175-year-old abortion ban.
Jennie-O turkey brand will display its float at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the fifth consecutive year.
Inside Catholic Charities St Paul Opportunity Center, local physicians, surgeons, and lawyers gathered to support people experiencing homelessness.
A man is expected to survive after being shot during a possible drug deal in Minneapolis' Dinkytown neighborhood Thursday morning, police said.
A warm place to live may be taken for granted, but for a veteran taking over his family home, it's a gift.
Michael Fuller and Mahesh Mathew are finding purpose on Twin Cities running paths together.
One issue veterans face is finding a job after they finish their service. They have skills, of course, but they are not always valued as work experience. The University of Minnesota Medical School is hoping to change that.
Democrats say they're concerned or scared Trump will threaten their rights, but fewer than half feel motivated to oppose him.
Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley is the first Kenyan-born state legislator in the country.
Minnesota will once again be one of the top states in the country for voter turnout.
The Universal Service Fund was created by Congress in 1996.
Trump loyalist Rep. Matt Gaetz is out of a job for now, but his political future may not be over.
The average price for a typical turkey is about $25 this year. That's 6% cheaper than last November.
"We literally walk in and dust off the jackets because they have been sitting for a while," she said.
Thieves capture radio signals from your key fob by using a device that grabs that fob's signal, even from long distances. That signal can be stored and re-used.
The price of housing in Minneapolis rose less over the last five years compared to other metro areas around the U.S.
The Wild also partnered with community food shelves to give out Turkeys this holiday season.
The shooting happened on the 1500 block of Lake Street East just before 8:30 p.m.
When cyclist Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson was murdered in Texas, U.S. Marshals assigned to the case used a unique tactic to track down her suspected killer in Costa Rica and bring the fugitive to justice.
The shooting took place just after midnight Saturday near Lowry Avenue North and Fremont Avenue North.
Rochester police are investigating a homicide that happened Thursday evening. The shooting happened just before 7pm near 10th Street Southeast and 1st Avenue Southeast.
Police are investigating a fatal shooting overnight Saturday near the 2400 block of 17 Avenue South. Minneapolis police say they responded to a 911 call around 4:45 a.m. on reports of gunshots and a man down in the middle of the street.
Last year, Minnesota lawmakers passed new protections after a young woman testified about contamination in her community just before she died. Her sister is now carrying on the fight to protect other families.
The Minnesota Department of Health and the United States Department of Agriculture say they have confirmed a total of 15 cases of E. coli related illnesses in Minnesota.
PFAS are forever chemicals used in everyday items like nonstick pans, dental floss and food packaging that can build up in our bodies and harm our health.
A new Minnesota state law requires school districts or charter schools to adopt a policy on the use of cellphones in school by March of next year. But one nonprofit has gotten a jump start, working with students to help them find a balance between devices in and out of school.
The Mayo Clinic says surgeons there successfully performed a face transplant for a Michigan man who was severely injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound 10 years ago.
English hyperpop artist Charli XCX will be coming to Minneapolis on April 26, 2025.
After almost a decade of "Disney on Ice" performances, a Minnesota native is eagerly anticipating his first show at the Xcel Energy Center.
Post Malone announced Tuesday that the "Big A** Stadium Tour" will come to U.S. Bank Stadium on May 20, 2025.
The much-hyped fight pitting the 58-year-old Tyson against Paul, 27, shattered records but was marred by tech glitches.
Betty White will be honored with a stamp in 2025, the U.S. Postal Service announced on Friday.
Meet a student athlete from Chisago Lakes with endless drive, despite a surprise diagnosis. Plus, Becker and Totino-Grace battled at U.S. Bank Stadium for the Class 4A championship.
Drew Allar passed for 244 yards and a touchdown, rushed for a score and completed a late fourth-down conversion to help No. 4 Penn State fend off Minnesota 26-25 on Saturday and stay on track for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Rasmus Andersson scored the shootout winner and the Calgary Flames held off the Minnesota Wild 4-3 after blowing a two-goal lead late in the third period Saturday.
Justin Jefferson might be weary of all the safeties shadowing his every route and determined not to let the Minnesota Vikings go deep.
The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
In this election, Klobuchar faired much better than all other Senate Democrats — she won by a significantly larger margin.
For Democrats the postmortem continues on why Vice President Kamala Harris and her Running mate Governor Tim Walz performed more poorly with almost every demographic than Joe Biden did in 2020. In Minnesota, Senator Amy Klobuchar did much better than Harris with some of those same groups.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
There are a lot of quirky town names in Minnesota: Embarrass, Nowthen, Clontarff, Kiester. But the people of Nimrod believe their name stands out from the rest.
Did you know that donkeys are fast, smart and can build life-long bonds with other animals and people? It's believed that donkeys are smarter than most dogs.
The Fitzgerald Theater is the oldest active theater in St. Paul — but is it also haunted?
Wisconsin bars are known for their pints and their patrons. About the last thing you'd expect to discover in such a place would be 55 feet of historic American artwork.
Did you know Minnesota has a real castle? Miller Castle, near Nisswa.
This holiday season, you might pull out a Betty Crocker cookbook to find a tried and true recipe.
Krueger is the third-generation owner of Krueger's Christmas Tree Farm. While he finds joy in knowing the evergreens will make a family happy, they might not realize the effort it took to reach these towering heights.
As President-elect Donald Trump fills out his cabinet, there's one department for which he's yet to announce a leader. That could be because he promised it wouldn't exist after taking office.
The tiny sensory organs that cover our tongue allow us to detect five basic tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami — which is a savory, rich or meaty flavor.
Grabbing a TV for a steal-of-a-deal is a popular move during the holiday season. This year, industry experts are expecting shoppers to go big — like really big.
Regions Hospital and Children's Minnesota share photos of their tiniest patients dressed to the nines for Halloween.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Thursday night due to the arrival of a severe geomagnetic storm.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Monday night.
Storms ripped through parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin on Thursday evening. There were several reports of tornadoes and trees were downed in the metro and beyond, including in Cottage Grove, Anoka, Champlin and Fridley.
A powerful thunderstorm tore through the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair on Monday night, delaying Tuesday's opening.
High temperatures are going to hit the lower 40s as most of the state stays dry throughout the day.
In Minnesota, weather can be all over the place. Here at WCCO, we want to give you what you need to prepare for what's happening next.
Meteorologist Riley O'Connor says Sunday will be quiet before it rains overnight and transitions into snow.
Sunday will be similar to Saturday, with temps in the low 40s. Starting Sunday night we have precipitation that will continue through Monday morning. Temps will drop into next week into the high 20s or low 30s. Lisa Meadows breaks down the precipitation timing and what you need to know.
We have one last quiet day before a dramatic change in our weather. Sunday night into Monday is when we see our next chance at precipitation. Temps then drop. WCCO's Lisa Meadows breaks down the timing and what days you'll need to bundle up.
The National Turkey Federation shared a video on their Facebook page of two turkeys from Minnesota arriving in Washington, D.C. so they can be pardoned by President Biden at the White House.
Meteorologist Riley O'Connor says Sunday will be quiet before it rains overnight and transitions into snow.
The Minnesota House is looking to be tied with 67 Republicans and 67 Democrats. There's a recount Monday in one St. Cloud district and another in a Shakopee wrapped up late last week. Caroline Cummings spoke with House Republican Leader Lisa Demuth about a potential power-sharing agreement in the chamber.
A group of local Girl Scouts recently took a trip to Alabama for an exciting opportunity.
Democrats are still reeling from their losses this election as Republicans will control both chambers in Congress and President-elect Donald Trump is going back to the White House. Now the party is trying to regroup, and Minnesota DFL Party Chair Ken Martin wants to lead that effort.