NCAA Implements Sustainability Initiatives for Final Four

For the 2014 Final Four being held at AT&T Stadium outside Dallas, the NCAA has kicked off sustainability efforts to help reduce the environmental impact of hosting the championship round of the NCAA Tournament. Partnering with the city of Arlington, host site for the semifinals and national championship game, the NCAA is working on-site and in the surrounding community with the goal of hosting the greenest Final Four in tournament history. Some of the programs revealed in the lead-up to the Final Four include:

• The planting of 1,014 trees around Arlington, commemorating the city’s role as a Final Four host and demonstrating the importance of trees and their environmental impact on communities
• The donation of a basketball court created almost exclusively from recycled materials to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center
• Non-perishable food item donations to benefit the North Texas Food Bank and Tarrant County Food Bank
• A public-transportation program to and from AT&T Stadium to reduce the transportation impact of the tournament
• Youth engagement clinics in collaboration with the EPA
• A community recycled-art showcase, “Renew. Reduce. Replay. Start with Art!”
• Recycling and composting programs at AT&T Stadium, the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, and other facilities affiliated with the Final Four

To assist in the implementation of these sustainability policies, the NCAA has enlisted the assistance of volunteers and venue staff to ensure that they have maximum impact.Read the full article here.