Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff is defending the Alamodome against allegations that the facility is too antiquated to be chosen as the home for any more NCAA Final Fours, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
The Wall Street Journal reported that several NCAA officials, despite having overall praise for the 2018 Final Four, which wrapped up one week ago today, expressed their concern that the Alamodome which was opened in 1993, is too old and too small to accommodate major sports events.
Wolff says one of the complaints reported in the Wall Street Journal article, a lack of adequate luxury suites, is ridiculous.
"I think there were even a couple of suites in the dome that didn't get rented (for the Final Four), so we have plenty of suites," he said. "I wouldn't change a thing."
Wolff pointed out that the city, using the hotel-motel tax, completed $60 million in upgrades to the Alamodome specifically for the Final Four, including massive new 'video wall' screens, enhanced audio systems, newly renovated concourses, security areas to speed entrances, and a brand new underground news media center.
And Wolff, who was San Antonio's mayor when the Alamodome opened, says the dome is looking 'pretty good' at the age of 26. And he questioned the wisdom of cities which are throwing tax money at publicly funded 'super stadiums.'
"We spent $184 million building the Dome, they are spending $2 and $ billion dollars in other communities today," he said. "That is a major burden on those taxpayers that we don't have here."