Game day in Lawrence: What to know ahead of KU’s championship matchup

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Some Jayhawk fans got creative Saturday, watching KU advance to the championship game on an iPhone propped up in the middle of Ninth and Massachusetts streets.

That’s one option, of course, but here are some others.

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Basics:

No. 1 seed Kansas will face the No. 8 seed North Carolina for the championship at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Tipoff time is 8:20 p.m. Monday. The game will air on TBS, which is channel 742 on Midco or 51 in standard definition.

If the Jayhawks beat the Tar Heels, this will be KU’s fourth NCAA tournament title and sixth overall national championship. It’s the Jayhawks’ third championship appearance during the Bill Self era — they won in 2008 and lost in 2012.

Can’t watch the game? Keep an eye on KU’s live stats at this link. Find very detailed game notes and stat sheets from KU Athletics at this link (big PDF file).

Mass Street info: 

Photo: Massachusetts Street is quiet and carless in preparation for the Jayhawks’ Final Four game on April 2, 2022. (Christina Craig / The Lawrence Times)

Mass Street will close at 6 a.m. Monday from Sixth Street south to 11th Street. About two hours ahead of tipoff, the closure will extend south to South Park Street. 

Through traffic will be allowed on Ninth Street and 11th Street until two hours before tipoff, so around 6:20 p.m. Monday. Sixth Street will remain open to traffic all day. 

Cars that are still parked on Mass Street after 6 a.m. Monday will be courtesy towed to the Community Center parking lot at 11th and Vermont streets, according to the city.

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Parking will be free downtown in all public garages, lots, and metered spaces. See a map of parking options at this link.

Find more information on the city’s March Madness website. Read more about safety planning (and the reason why cars aren’t allowed to park on Mass on game day) in this article.

Watch parties:

Ahead of the game, Downtown Lawrence Inc. is planning more fun for folks of all ages. Championship Day Downtown festivities are set for noon to 5 p.m.

Planning to be outside? The National Weather Service in Topeka forecast shows a partly sunny Monday with a high of 62°. Expect winds of 5-10 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph. Night time will be a little chillier, with a low around 41°.

Here are the watch parties we were able to find Sunday night. If you know of one we should add to this list, please let us know!

• The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St.: gates at 3 p.m. outdoors, doors at 4 p.m. indoors, $5 cover; details here

• The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St.: doors at 4 p.m., free entry until 5 p.m., $5 after; ages 18 and up; details here

• Abe & Jake’s Landing, 8 E. Sixth St.: 5 p.m.; limited table reservations available

• Allen Fieldhouse, 1700 Naismith Drive: doors at 7:15 p.m.; admission is free and concessions will be available; details here. Don’t forget about the clear bag policy.

Schools:

Neither KU nor area school districts had announced plans to cancel any classes as of Sunday night. We will post an update if that changes.

Last updated: 10:51 p.m. Sunday, April 3

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