NEW ORLEANS — As many as 100,000 visitors are in New Orleans for the Final Four.
Hotels are near capacity in the CBD, French Quarter and Warehouse district.
Two of those fans in town have a special story.
The first time Doug Knust and Chris Korth were in New Orleans for a Final Four, it was 1982. They were seniors at Creighton University in Omaha. The college buddies had watched the previous year’s Final Four in a basement bar as juniors and said let's go next year.
“Michael Jordan hit the jump shot. That's pretty famous, right?” Doug Knust, 61, of Chamberlain, South Dakota remembers.
And ever since then, they have not missed going to a Final Four for the last 40 years.
“We actually have more fun when none of our schools are in it, and we just come to root for our own standard, is double overtime,” said Chris Korth, 62, of Kansas City, Missouri.
And don't dare try beat these men, now in their early 60s, at Final Four trivia.
“Georgetown was going down to win the game and the Georgetown player Fred Brown, I believe, threw it to the North Carolina player,” remembers Korth.
“When Keith Smart hit the jumper from the baseline just at the buzzer to beat Syracuse,” Knust said.
Over the decades, there were marriages, children, grandchildren, and at times they came along. Three dozen was the biggest group, but it's always the core group of Doug and Chris, even when there was a newborn, or very pregnant wife at home.
When asked, if their wives had gone into labor, would they have gone home?, Korth replied jokingly, “Is this on TV? Because definitely yes.”
Knust quickly said, “I definitely would have.”
They have met and talked to famous coaches, collected pins and commemorative shirts. They have a collection of old ticket stubs, and long-standing rivalries.
“Every school loses, but it's just a little more delicious when KU loses,” laughs Knust.
Over the years some memories have faded along with their hair color.
“We used to remember every shot, every game, certainly the 80s and 90s, and then all of a sudden it gets to be 40 years, and I'm trying to remember my kids names and birthdays,” Korth said laughing.
They have gone through family losses and illnesses, but this tradition that started as pure love of the game, has given back something of unmeasurable value.
“I don't see these guys other than here. I mean very seldom do I see them. I look forward to this every year, renewing friendships, having dinner, having a few cocktails, trading stories,” said Knust.
And for that reason, their Final Four hotel rooms are already booked for years down the road.
And there was even one time that they booked the hotel seven years in advance, not only before the hotel was built, but before they even had the groundbreaking for it.
And the men even got recognized by other fans who wanted to take a picture with them when they were outside of the Fan Fest.