Tuesday, March 6, 2007

ACC Tournament Prep Kit



Getting ready for my trip to Tampa, so gathered a bit of info that might help others. I'll post some info on getting tickets a bit later.

As noted in

ACC Tournament Tickets Tough this year?

The tournament is in the St. Pete's Times Forum this year.

The ACC has setup a really nice site for the tournamet at
http://www.acctampabay.com/acc/index.cfm

There are open practices on Wednesday, but no team schedule is yet available.



ACC has setup ACCRooms.com for getting rooms in school blocks. No idea if there are still seats in these blocks. I'll be staying somewhere cheap with wifi, and tampa has plenty of that. I've also had great luck of late getting very nice rooms cheap through HotWire and PriceLine, but I did a quick HotWire check for tampa on Thursday Nite and pickings are slim.

You might be interested in checking out the Legend's Brunch. Price is $35 per person.

Like in Greensboro they will have FanFest and Outdoor Tailgate Party.

More info on the Tampa Area.

Based on what I've heard, compared to Greensboro and RBC Center, the Times Forum is a dump, just not a great arena. Here is a bit of info on the arena:

Welcome to the St. Pete Times Forum, Florida's Premier Sports and Entertainment Destination. Home to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the St. Pete Times Forum is the jewel of downtown Tampa. St. Pete Times ForumThe arena features state-of-the-art technology and innovative design which combine to make this arena one of the finest facilities in North America.

The St. Pete Times Forum features 22,000 seats for the 2007 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament and encompasses 660,000 square feet with three decks and seven separate levels. The arena's footprint includes a multi-level, 1,500 stall parking facility and more than 100,000 square feet of outdoor plaza space, which will serve as the site of this year's ACC FanFest. One entire side of the structure is a wall of glass windows that provide crowd-pleasing panoramic skyline views, particularly from the on-site restaurants, Medallions and Icons.

St. Pete Times Forum
Since opening as the "Ice Palace" in 1996, the St. Pete Times Forum has become a focal point for the community and one of the most successful and popular performance venues in the country. More than 150 events annually, including concerts, family events, ice shows, the circus and indoor sports call the Forum home. In addition to NHL Hockey, the Forum has hosted dozens of major events, including three NCAA basketball championships.

In the spring of 2003 nearly 60,000 fans jammed the Forum for three sessions of the first and second rounds of the Men's Basketball Championship. The St. Pete Times Forum will continue their longstanding run of hosting NCAA Basketball Championship events in March of 2008, when Tampa will become only the third city to host the First and Second Rounds of the Men's Basketball Championship and the Women's Basketball Final Four in the same year.


Security

The following items are prohibited from being brought into the St. Pete Times Forum at the 2007 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament:

    • Alcoholic or other Beverages
    • Artificial Noise Makers
    • Audio or Video Recording Equipment
    • Cameras with lenses larger than 4"
    • Bags or Backpacks (larger than 10" x 8" x 14")
    • Beach Balls
    • Canes,Chains or Sticks of any length (non-medical use canes)
    • Cans, Glass or Metal containers
    • Coolers (unless they are caring medical supplies)
    • Diaper Bags (unless accompanied by baby)
    • Fireworks or any Explosive
    • Folding Chairs
    • Food and Beverage
    • Helium Balloons
    • Illegal Drugs
    • Knives of any size
    • Laser Pointers
    • Pets (except service animals for the disabled)
    • Promotional Items with commercial identification
    • Strollers
    • Tape Recorders
    • Umbrellas

No weapons of any kind will be allowed in the facility. Working tampa police and hillsborough county sheriff officers assigned to work the St. Pete Times Forum, are the only ones allowed to carry a weapon. All others will be asked to return them to their vehicle.

Signs, banners, flags or any other items that would either obstruct the view of a patron or serve as a dangerous projectile or security risk.

Other items that in the judgment of the ACC or St. Pete Times Forum management that pose a safety hazard or diminish the enjoyment of an event by other patrons, shall be prohibited.

When a prohibited item is discovered after a patron enters the facility, the item shall be confiscated and disposed of, the patron may be ejected from the facility, shall be denied re-entry and ticket price will not be refunded.

Standard St. Pete Times Forum entry procedures are supplemental to these security procedures.


Seating Chart Seating Chart

Click Here to view
the event seating chart


Directions (Click Here for Printable Directions)

FROM ST PETERSBURG/MADERIA BEACH:

  • Take I-275 North to Exit 44 (Ashley Drive) to Jackson
  • Left on Jackson to Morgan
  • Right on Morgan to Channelside


FROM CLEARWATER/LARGO/
PINELLAS/PALM HARBOR/TARPON SPRINGS/OLDSMAR:

  • Take SR 60 (Gulf to Bay/Courtney Campbell) to I-275
  • North on I-275 to Exit 44 (Ashley Drive) to Jackson
  • Left on Jackson to Morgan
  • Right on Morgan to Channelside


NORTHWEST TAMPA/HUDSON/NEW
PORT RICHEY/PASCO/SPRINGHILL:

  • Take Veterans Expressway (SR 589) South to I-275
  • Take exit 42 (Armenia Avenue)
  • Go south on Armenia Avenue to Platt Street
  • Go left on Platt
  • Platt turns into Channelside Drive


NORTH TAMPA/OCALA/GAINESVILLE/
TOWN AND COUNTRY/LAND O LAKES/ZEPHYRHILLS:

  • Take I-275 South to Exit 45A (Downtown East)
  • Go south on Jefferson to Whiting Street
  • Right on Whiting Street to Morgan
  • Left on Morgan to Channelside


ORLANDO/LAKELAND/PLANT CITY/
DAYTONA/ JACKSONVILLE/POLK COUNTY:

  • Take I-4 West to I-275 South
  • Take Exit 45A (Downtown East)
  • Go south on Jefferson to Whiting Street
  • Right on Whiting Street to Morgan
  • Left on Morgan to Channelside Drive


BRADENTON/SARASOTA/VENICE/FT MYERS/FT LAUDERDALE/MIAMI/NAPLES/PORT CHARLES:

  • Take I-75 North to Exit 50 Crosstown Expressway (TOLL)
  • West on Crosstown Expressway to Exit 8 (Downtown East)
  • Right on Kennedy Blvd to Morgan
  • Left on Morgan to Channelside Drive


BRANDON/VERO BEACH/PALM BEACH/GIBSON:

  • Take SR 60 (Adamo Drive) West to Channelside Drive
  • Go south on Channelside Drive

St. Pete Times Forum Address
401 Channelside Drive
Tampa, Florida 33602
813.301.6500

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