City of San Antonio dropped $20,000 on Final Four tickets for council members, station reports

Editor’s note: This story was updated to add a statement and additional details provided by city spokesman Brian Chasnoff.

Fans who flocked to San Antonio to watch their favorite teams compete in the NCAA Men’s Final Four weren’t the only ones who dropped serious cash on tickets.

San Antonio’s Convention & Sports Facilities Department paid $20,000 so members of City Council could attend the basketball tournament, a KSAT-TV investigation found. The station obtained invoices and emails showing the department shelled out $1,000 a pop for 20 VIP tickets with center-court views.

Those from council who attended at least one game included District 3 Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran and District 4 Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia, both of whom attended with guests, according to KSAT.

Viagran told KSAT she attended as part of her official city duties. Meanwhile, Rocha Garcia said didn’t know the city paid for the tickets until the station called her for comment. She reportedly wrote a check Monday to reimburse the cost of two tickets.

District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez, District 4 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda and District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito told KSAT they didn’t attend any games.

District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur, District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo, District 9 Councilman John Courage and District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte didn’t respond to the station’s request for comment.

Rocha Garcia, Pelaez, Cabello Havrda and Courage all are running for mayor in the May 3 citywide election.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg received two tickets from an allotment the city manager’s office bought with city funds, KSAT reports. Nirenberg, who sat in the NCAA president’s section, did so as an official city ambassador, a spokesman for the mayor told the station. 

In an emailed statement, city spokesman Brian Chasnoff told the Current that Alamodome revenues funded the ticket purchases. He added that it’s “perfectly normal” for members of council to represent the city when it hosts such a high-profile event.

“The NCAA Men’s Final Four tournament placed San Antonio on a national stage and will be an economic boon to the city, injecting an estimated $440 million into the community,” Chasnoff told KSAT.

The city previously purchased NCAA Final Four tickets for the mayor and council in 2018, according to Chasnoff.

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed

Related Stories

Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy calls San Antonio Spurs’ Popovich ‘pompous asshole’ during podcast

“He thinks he’s God,” Portnoy said.

It will cost big to attend the Final Four in San Antonio this year, study shows

Tickets alone can set visitors back thousands — and that’s before adding in food and accommodations.

10 San Antonio restaurants and bars to check out during the Final Four

All of these establishments are near the Alamodome, and most are within walking distance.

San Antonio Zoo porcupine accurately predicts outcome of Final Four tournament games

It’s not the first time Elmer the porcupine has dabbled in the world of sports betting.

City moves forward with ethics complaint against Councilwoman Sukh Kaur after independent review

The allegations will next be reviewed by the City Council-appointed Ethics Review Board.

Consumer spending in San Antonio declined 3.4% during Final Four, Valero Texas Open

The decline could be due to higher ticket prices and recession fears caused by Trump’s trade war.

This article appears in Apr 2-15, 2025.