The 2025 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Tampa wasn’t just a basketball event — it was a masterclass in experiential marketing. With a sold-out crowd of nearly 20,000 at Amalie Arena and over 8.5 million tuning in on ESPN platforms, this year’s National Championship between UConn and South Carolina made serious waves, becoming the third most-watched women’s Division I final ever on ESPN.
But the real action started long before tip-off.
Over the course of Final Four week, downtown Tampa transformed into a basketball haven. Tourney Town at the Tampa Convention Center saw over 22,000 fans flow through its doors from April 3–6, and Saturday broke records with the highest single-day attendance since 2018. From die-hard fans to curious locals, crowds swarmed branded activations, merch drops, and skill challenges — and sponsors delivered.
So how did top brands stand out among the buzz, basketballs, and bucket hats? Here are six strategies that scored big:
1. Bucket Hats Became the Badge of Honor
If there was one item that ruled Tampa, it was the branded bucket hat. Fans flocked to sponsor booths from Capital One, GEICO, and The Home Depot to score these now-iconic accessories — often earned by sinking shots in basketball-themed games. With bold colors and standout prints (like GEICO’s Gecko dunking), these hats quickly turned into walking advertisements and social proof of fan engagement. The message? Reward participation with visible, desirable merch.
2. Turnkey, All-Ages Fun at Tourney Town
Tourney Town, presented by Capital One, was a crowd magnet thanks to its mix of interactive experiences tailored for every age group. From kids testing their skills in mini hoop contests to alumni lining up for team merch, the space balanced entertainment with brand messaging. The volume of foot traffic — and the smiles — said it all. A strong lesson for planners: meet fans where they are with low-barrier, family-friendly fun.
3. Brand Presence That Felt Local
Tampa didn’t just host the Final Four — it lived it. Downtown was wrapped in signage, art installations, and event energy that made even casual passersby feel part of something big. Locals who “stumbled upon” the festivities were quick converts, often sticking around for games or selfies with mascots. It proved how powerful visual storytelling and city-wide branding can be in amplifying an event’s presence and drawing in new audiences.
4. Gamified Engagement at Sponsor Booths
Activations leaned heavily into play — and it worked. Capital One had fans take their shot at oversized hoops. The Home Depot added a DIY twist with basketball builds. GEICO leaned into humor and visuals with its sporty Gecko takeover. Each booth turned participation into currency, with giveaways and games that not only drew crowds but generated long dwell time. Lesson: don’t just show up — invite people in.
5. Tapping Into Fandom Across Generations
Whether it was Gen Z students hyped for the games, parents snapping photos of their kids sinking a shot, or grandparents repping their alma mater, brands were intentional about meeting different demographics. Activations were designed to appeal to multiple touchpoints — physical, emotional, and nostalgic. The biggest wins were inclusive, intergenerational moments that celebrated basketball culture in all its forms.
6. Celebrating the Culture, Not Just the Game
Beyond the courts, brands embraced storytelling. Through art installations, music pop-ups, and local partnerships, the Final Four became more than a tournament — it was a cultural celebration. Fans weren’t just watching basketball; they were immersed in an ecosystem that honored community, school spirit, and women’s sports. For planners, this is a key insight: successful events integrate meaning and memory.
Final Whistle
With UConn clinching their 12th national title and a record-breaking fan response across channels, this year’s Women’s Final Four proved that engagement is about more than a game — it’s about creating a movement. Brands that leaned in with creativity, authenticity, and purpose walked away with more than impressions — they built connections.
Looking to tap into this kind of energy at your next event? Start with what matters to your audience — then build experiences that surprise, inspire, and celebrate the moment.
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Sunday’s NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship game between UConn and South Carolina drew a sellout crowd of 19,777 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL, and 8.5 million viewers, making it the third most-watched women’s Division I title game on ESPN platforms. In the days leading up to UConn’s 12th national championship win, tens of thousands of fans showed out in downtown Tampa for the week’s Final Four celebrations and events, with many setting record attendance numbers and reaching maximum capacity.
The Tampa Convention Center welcomed 22,241 fans from April 3-6 for the Women’s Final Four fan festival, Tourney Town presented by Capital One, and Saturday marked the highest single-day attendance since 2018. These stats and the momentum built around last year’s “Caitlin Clark effect” show that the fandom around women’s college basketball continues to grow, and brands are responding. They’re getting creative with their sponsorships and on-site activations to tap into a diverse fanbase made up of families with young basketball players, Gen Z college students and devoted alumni who fly in to watch their team play.
While we were in Tampa, which was completely decked out in Final Four signage, we heard locals comment on how they happened upon the tournament events or just came out for a good time. Many stated they “had no idea this was a thing” and were surprised by the scale of the experiences available. Still, there were plenty of fans who were buzzing and proudly sporting UConn, South Carolina, UCLA and Texas gear, and kids and adults alike were beaming at the chance to show off their basketball skills at the countless challenges around Tourney Town.
So, how did brands appeal to the wide spectrum of attendees and stand out among a sea of basketball courts and hoops games? We break down six experiential tactics we spotted around town that successfully pulled fans in.
Bucket Hats FTW
Everywhere we looked, bucket hats were the accessory of choice, specifically branded ones. Capital One, GEICO and The Home Depot were among the booths that gave away bucket hats as prizes for taking part in their basketball-themed games, and they became a kind of badge of honor that identified wearers as high points scorers. It was easy to pick out where the hats came from, thanks to their iconic colors (orange for The Home Depot) and designs (an allover print of the GEICO Gecko holding a basketball), and fans took note, pinpointing the booths to get their hands on the hot items.
The Nostalgia Play
While bucket hats were an iconic look from the ’90s and early 2000s, they’re trendy once again among millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and ESPN leaned into the nostalgia with its activation. The ESPN Boardwalk brought ’90s vibes to life with a custom airbrushing station, graffiti designs, a boombox and an installation of stacked retro TVs. Add in a hip-hop soundtrack, and fans couldn’t help but be drawn in.
Technology Upgrades
On the flip side, some brands went all in on the latest technological innovations, incorporating them into their footprints to create an elevated experience. Invesco QQQ powered its Innovation Arena with AI, AR, motion tracking and cloud computing to put fans in the center of the March Madness action. AT&T invited fans to design their dream courts on a tablet, which then became a reality on a basketball court made up of giant interactive screens. And Coca-Cola gave fans the chance to play their team’s fight song by singing, high-fiving and dancing on a larger-than-life soundboard equipped with buttons, lights and screens.
Spectator Areas
Not everyone wants to get in the game, so for attendees who preferred to observe the action or watch friends and family members take their turn shooting baskets or competing in head-to-head challenges, seating arrangements like bleachers, stools and couches were available at the Coca-Cola, Powerade, RISE and AT&T booths. They also provided participants with a rest area post-game if things got intense.
Star Brand Ambassadors
Brands brought in WNBA and NBA players and legends to meet fans throughout the weekend, and some took it a step further by integrating them into the actual design of their footprints. Capital One’s Ice Kareem Truck, named after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, offered scoops of specialty ice cream flavors, and the brand also turned Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson into digital blimps that fans propelled across a virtual sky by making baskets.
At the GEICO Garage, we caught up with Tamika Catchings, former Indiana Fever player and Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer. She showed off her skills, shooting foam basketballs into bike baskets, trash cans and laundry baskets, and then helped coach attendees to make the most of their 30 seconds in the garage. Young fans were particularly excited to take photos with and get pointers from one of the most decorated players in WNBA history.
The Home Depot made its activation all about Shaquille O’Neal, popping up the Tool Shaq, which was filled with home improvement-themed activities, as well as displays, cutouts and a hologram of the NBA legend.
Support for Host City Community Initiatives
Beyond their fan activations, sponsors got behind several Tampa-focused community events and organizations. For every basket made at AT&T’s dream court, the brand donated $10 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay and Human-I-T. Outside Tourney Town, AT&T presented Connecting Tampa Bay, an invite-only event on April 3 at Hotel Haya for 200 college students selected to take part in a panel discussion and mentoring series with industry leaders.
The NCAA and Dove teamed up with the Tampa Bay Local Organizing Committee to refurbish an indoor playing court at the Riverfront Rec Center at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. A ceremony in honor of the NCAA Women’s Final Four Legacy Project presented by Dove took place on April 2.
Lastly, the NCAA Read to the Final Four challenged thousands of third-grade students in Tampa with a reading competition that ran through the month of March. The top “Final Four” schools won a field trip to Tourney Town, where the elementary schools and reading champions were recognized on April 4 by the NCAA and Tampa Bay Local Organizing Committee. By the end of the competition, local students read a total of 6,264,228 minutes.
More 2025 NCAA Final Four Coverage:
- Field Report: Top 12 Activations from the NCAA Women’s Final Four Tourney Town in Tampa
- Sponsors Deliver Dream Courts, Holograms and Ladders at the 2025 Men’s Final Four Tournament
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