Fans packed State Farm Stadium to witness the men’s National Championship Game between UConn and Purdue.
On Monday night, the NCAA announced an official attendance of 74,423 people. It’s the third-largest turnout for a men’s title game.
Arizona’s Final Four games combined for an attendance of 149,143, the fifth-highest number in tournament history.
A full house is watching a colossal showdown between two No. 1 seeds. The Huskies are attempting to become the first back-to-back champions since the 2006 and 2007 Gators, while the Boilermakers are pursuing their first national title in program history.
UConn cruised through the bracket with five double-digit wins by a 25-point average margin of victory. Dan Hurley’s squad has won 26 of their last 27 games entering Monday’s matchup.
Meanwhile, Purdue has redeemed last year’s first-round upset to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson with a deep run behind Zach Edey. The two-time Player of the Year is continuing his excellent tournament with another dominant performance on Monday night.
Edey has scored 20 points midway through the second half, but the Huskies are still pulling ahead. They extended their lead to as many as 16 points behind an impressive showing from senior guard Tristen Newton.
Following a 9-2 UConn run, Purdue is in danger of watching the championship slip away. The Boilermakers must rally to pull off an upset in front of the enormous Glendale crowd.
Fans outside the arena can watch the game’s conclusion on TBS.