Almost Heaven

As Illinois seeks to take its basketball program to heights even greater than the last row in the building, the numbers begin to add up
By David Haugh Chicago Tribune staff reporter Published March 20, 2005

INDIANAPOLIS -- In the rarefied air of the RCA Dome, up here where the famous draft blamed for knocking shots off course starts building wind, Hoosiers learn to squint. Out of necessity, this week Bearcats, Wildcats and others are learning, too, at the first- and second-round NCAA tournament games. Even as burdened as Illinois players have seemed lately, the Illini must be enjoying their view from the top better than any of their fans who climbed up to the most remote section of Indiana's biggest barn. Thankfully, nobody really had to climb. It requires an elevator to get to the highest level, and the ride is long enough to show a movie. Passengers half expect a voice to ask them to stow their tray tables and turn off electronic equipment on the way up. From this vantage point, the basketball looks like a pellet and it is hard to tell the difference between a No. 2 and a No. 5 on a game jersey. A cell-phone call to ask someone in the front row might include roaming charges. Illinois point guard Dee Brown literally looks like a blur to the people who sit in these seats. For this, fans pay $30. Unless it's a big game, when a longtime usher said scalpers' prices start at $100. Those are just two of the numbers that made an impression this weekend as the Illini sought to take their program to heights even greater than the last row in the building.

Here is a look at some of those numbers:

360,000 Number of college student-athletes, according to the NCAA advertisements.

1The percent of college student-athletes that will become professional athletes, according to the Knight Commission.

$889 million The amount of money in lost productivity in the workforce during the NCAA tournament as people check scores and discuss games at their jobs, according to a new study.

$10 million Estimated impact of first- and second-round NCAA tournament games on the city of Indianapolis, according to the city's Convention and Visitors Association.

$1,274 The average asking price of a ticket to the Final Four semifinals and final in St. Louis next month, on www.stubhub.com

$110 The face value of a ticket for a Final Four game in St. Louis next month.

$70 Price of a "Dee Brown" No. 11 Illinois jersey at a sports apparel store at the Market Place Mall in Champaign.

$5.99 Price of Illini bobblehead doll lapel pin.

6 The number of schools in the NCAA field of 65 that graduated 20 percent of its basketball players, according to figures released last week.

43 The number of schools, including Illinois (47 percent) in the NCAA field of 65 that graduated fewer than 50 percent of its basketball players.

19 The number of days since March 1 the student-athletes on Illinois' men's basketball team will have been away from campus if their run continues through the national championship game April 4.

$6.1 billion The amount of the 11-year contract the NCAA signed with CBS to award the network broadcast rights for the Division I men's basketball tournament.

$375 million The cost of televising this year's NCAA tournament for CBS.

$13.4 million The amount from last year's NCAA tournament the Big Ten will split evenly among its members, according to published reports.

40 The number of Division I athletic departments that operated in the black, according to the latest NCAA figures released.

$50 million The estimated economic impact on the city of St. Louis during Final Four weekend.

$19,216 The estimated value of an athletic scholarship covering room, board, tuition and books at the University of Illinois.

12:30 a.m. The time Illinois players finished granting interviews in their locker room early Friday after defeating Fairleigh Dickinson.