The 2025 NCAA Males’s Last 4 got here to an exciting conclusion on Monday, with the Alamodome internet hosting a championship recreation the place the Florida Gators triumphed over the College of Houston in a hard-fought battle that stored school basketball followers on the sting of their seats.
Among the many 66,602 followers on the Last 4 video games have been a number of San Antonio council members, who used city-funded tickets, based on a KSAT investigation.
Data attained by KSAT, which the San Antonio Report has additionally requested from the town, present the town’s Conference and Sports activities Services Division spent $20,000 on 20 VIP tickets, every price $1,000, for council members and a visitor.
In a press release given to the Report, a metropolis spokesman mentioned it’s “completely regular for council members to symbolize the town at an occasion of this magnitude,” noting that the ten council members and the mayor have been every provided two tickets.
“…We used Alamodome revenues to buy the tickets,” mentioned Brian Chasnoff, assistant director of communications for the town. “The NCAA Males’s Last 4 match positioned San Antonio on a nationwide stage and might be an financial boon to the town, injecting an estimated $440 million into the group.”
Town had additionally beforehand bought NCAA Last 4 tickets for the mayor and council members in 2018.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg attended the occasion, having obtained two tickets from the town supervisor’s workplace allotment, which have been bought by the town. These tickets weren’t a part of the 20-ticket allotment for the council, the mayor’s workplace mentioned in a press release. The mayor took his son Jonah as his visitor.
“The mayor’s tickets are within the NCAA president’s part, and the mayor is serving as an official ambassador of the town,” the mayor’s workplace acknowledged.
Councilwoman Sukh Kaur (D1) didn’t say if she utilized the city-issued tickets, however informed the Report she was honored to symbolize the town in attendance on the Last 4 occasions, together with the free viewing of the ladies’s championship video games at Civic Park.
“It was a tremendous expertise to see younger ladies and households from our group take pleasure in an occasion that brings a lot notoriety and financial profit,” she mentioned.
Councilman Jalen McKee Rodriguez (D2) mentioned he’s by no means been a lot of a sports activities fan, so he often passes on recreation tickets when they’re provided. Nevertheless, he mentioned he did attend the Saturday Last 4 recreation on the Alamodome between College of Houston and Duke to “symbolize the town and participate in vital conversations about San Antonio’s future.”
“Whereas there, I had the chance to talk with a Fortune 500 CEO about investing in our group — together with the proposed Spurs area and the prevailing Frost Financial institution Middle,” he mentioned. “As a city-owned facility, tickets on the Alamodome sometimes come without charge, so I wasn’t conscious of the retail worth till now. I perceive the considerations, and I imagine it’s vital we proceed to have conversations about transparency and accountable use of public assets.”
Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran (D3) defended the observe of attending such occasions, calling it an important a part of being an excellent consultant for the town.
“We’re speculated to be there and be an excellent ambassador for the town, supporting the leisure and selling our metropolis’s greatness,” she mentioned.
Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia, nonetheless, expressed discomfort upon studying the town had paid for the tickets, particularly after realizing the price.
“Once I discovered, I instantly felt uncomfortable and determined to reimburse the town,” she mentioned, including that she was unaware of the tickets’ value till after the occasion. She shared textual content messages with the San Antonio Report displaying that she had not been knowledgeable in regards to the metropolis funding the tickets beforehand.
Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito (D7) mentioned she didn’t request or use the tickets supplied by the town. Councilman Manny Pelaez (D8) informed the Report he wasn’t conscious the town had provided them tickets and he didn’t attend any Last 4 occasions. Within the midst of a mayoral marketing campaign, Pelaez added he additionally didn’t see worth in a council member attending any of the video games.
“What worth does a councilperson going to these occasions actually add to the town?” he mentioned. “I’ve by no means had a constituent inform me, ‘Thanks for representing me on the Males’s Collegiate Basketball Last 4.’”
Council members Teri Castillo (D5), Melissa Cabello Havrda (D6) and John Braveness (D9) didn’t reply to the San Antonio Report’s requests for feedback, whereas Councilman Marc Whyte (D10) declined to remark.
