Your Brackets Already Are Blown -- Start Thinking About Next Year

​Face it, your NCAA brackets this year are a joke. Your Final Four of Kansas, Villanova, Pittsburgh and New Mexico didn't turn out to be the lock you imagined.

So start thinking about next year. When the Final Four is right here in Houston.

The ticket application process is still open for the 2011 finals, and it will stay open until 20,000 sign up -- so act fast. The NCAA has been taking applications for a week, but Jamie Nicholson of Reliant Park said today there's still time to act. (In fact, there are still tickets available for this week's regional games.)

"The general public allocation [for 2011] will include tickets in the lower level of the stadium and for the first time in history, fans can apply for up to four tickets," he says.

"All-session" tickets -- for the two Final Four games and the championship game -- are $200 for lower -level and mid-level behind the basket, $180 for upper-level sideline and $160 for upper-level behind the basket. That's not that bad for three high-profile games.

The Final Four will be here on April 2, 2011, with the championship game two days later.

Says the NCAA:
 

A random computerized drawing amongst all eligible applications will be held in July 2010. Applicants will be notified in August 2010 whether their application was selected. The NCAA will not publicize results of the process. Ticket books for selected applicants will be mailed no later than mid-February, 2011, via express delivery.

Refunds for tickets awarded at a lower price level than initially paid, or for unsuccessful applications, will include the resulting price difference or the full application deposit amount, as applicable, and will be made electronically. Refundable amounts do not earn interest.