San Antonio Gears Up for a Greener 2025 Men’s Final Four with Sustainability Effort

SAN ANTONIO (April 2, 2025) – The San Antonio Local Organizing Committee (SALOC), which is tasked with overseeing city-level planning for the 2025 Men’s Final Four, is proud to share an update on the 2025 Men’s Final Four Sustainability Committee.

Elena Wells, Executive Director at SALOC, believes the organization’s commitment to sustainability is at the forefront of this year’s planning. “As we prepare to welcome fans from across the nation to the 2025 Men’s Final Four in San Antonio this week, the establishment of a dedicated sustainability committee ensures that every aspect of this historic event will be approached to minimize our environmental impact and maximize our community’s long-term well-being,” said Wells. “Our goal is to set a new standard for how major sporting events can positively contribute to the planet and leave a lasting legacy for future generations.”

The Sustainability Committee aims to develop a scalable, repeatable, and measurable playbook for events to be used across future NCAA events, ensuring lasting impact. The committee’s goals include reducing the event’s environmental footprint by identifying and managing carbon and energy emissions, promoting water-positive efforts, increasing the use of recycled and reused materials, and preserving habitats to enhance local plant and animal diversity.

The committee is led by Chair Brad Tipper of Grassroots Carbon, alongside key members including Lars Dyrud (Earth Optics), Dr. Ben Miele (University of the Incarnate Word), and Chad Ellis (Texas Agricultural Land Trust).

“The Sustainability Committee is working through strong partnerships with SALOC, corporate partners including EarthOptics, students and professors from host universities UTSA and UIW, and non-profit organizations including Texas Agricultural Land Trust  to deliver the most regenerative       Men’s Final Four event yet,” said Brad Tipper, Chief Executive Officer of Grassroots Carbon and Chair of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Final Four Sustainability Committee. “Together, we are committed to building a sustainability framework in San Antonio with an impact that endures and scales to future sporting events long after the final buzzer and confetti falls in the Alamodome on April 7th,” said Tipper.

For more information on the Sustainability Committee’s initiatives, please visit https://www.finalfoursanantonio.com/community/sustainability.

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About San Antonio Local Organizing Committee:

The San Antonio Local Organizing Committee (SALOC) is a nonprofit dedicated to bidding on and hosting major events that bring out-of-town visitors and drive economic impact to San Antonio.  SALOC is a partnership between San Antonio Sports, Visit San Antonio, the City of San Antonio, University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of the Incarnate Word.  SALOC oversees marketing, operations, and community relations for all ancillary events and initiatives associated with the 2025 NCAA Men’s Final Four. SALOC’s mission is to leverage the excitement of March Madness to foster community engagement, promote educational initiatives, and highlight the vibrant culture of San Antonio.

About the NCAA
The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola as official corporate champions and the following elite companies as official corporate partners: Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, GEICO, Great Clips, Intuit TurboTax, Invesco QQQ, LG, Marriott Bonvoy, Nabisco, Nissan, Pizza Hut, Reese’s, The Home Depot, Unilever and Wendy’s.