Chase Center, hosting marquee events, shining outside of Warriors games

Motivation was impossible to miss. 

Chase Center, home to the Warriors, hosted the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship West Regional from March 27 through 29, serving as the epicenter for sensational Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games.

Greatness surrounded No. 1 seed Florida, No. 3 seed Texas Tech, No. 4 seed Maryland and No. 10 seed Arkansas. Look up, to the left and to the right, and pictures of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and more are seen celebrating championships, MVPs and their many team and individual accolades. 

What more can a student-athlete want? 

“You’re walking the halls that Steph Curry walks,” Alex Penewell, the West Coast Conference’s Associate Commissioner for Championships and Sport Administration, said to NBC Sports Bay Area. 

Penewell was instrumental in helping the host Pac-12’s staff behind the scenes and also played the role of team host for Texas Tech. The West Regional was Penewell’s first time working basketball games at Chase Center and she found herself impressed by several aspects. For having a capacity of over 18,000 for basketball games, the arena’s intimate feel stood out.

As did Thrive City’s ever-growing attraction for fans. The decorations commemorating a dynasty were an added bonus for all parties. Press conferences for players and coaches were set up in the Warriors’ practice facility, which is lined with photos of Golden State’s past and present glory. 

“Walking to get there was really unique for the student-athletes and coaches,” Penewell said. “It’s a lot of really cool photos and memorabilia, and just the art. I even caught myself wandering around the concourse and the suite level looking at the photos, looking at the art. It just creates a really unique atmosphere for student-athletes, and especially, you know, for some of the student-athletes and coaches who have been at these kind of cool places before. 

“Chase Center and San Francisco being right there on the Bay really is one of the more unique locations the NCAA is able to host.” 

There wasn’t a single West Coast college that played at Chase Center in the Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight. The closest school was the team Penewell was closest to, Texas Tech. Yet that didn’t calm the storm of excitement in San Francisco. 

One of Penewell’s favorite memories of the five days she spent at Chase Center was being at Texas Tech’s hotel when the Red Raiders rolled in with their three buses. Fans and onlookers stopped on the street, taking out their phones to take pictures, record videos, and cheer for the Red Raiders. 

The excitement was evident, despite there not being a nearby allegiance of fans for a local college.

With the Final Four back in the spotlight Saturday, Penewell already is looking three years into the future. Chase Center first hosted the West Regional in 2022 before getting it back in 2025, and will have it again in 2028. That’s when Penewell will step into an even larger role as tournament manager.

From the fan experience to the way players, coaches and staff were accommodated, everything was what Penewell hoped for. But that’s the beauty of March Madness. Somehow, some way, it does keep getting better and better. 

“I’m just excited to continue the magic of March,” Penewell said. “I couldn’t tell you where the NCAA is going to be in 2028, but I’m pretty confident that men’s basketball will still be a marquee event and I’m excited to be a part of it. I think being in Chase Center, and the location of Chase Center, is a big draw for teams that we get here.” 

Chase Center general manager Donna Daniels called preparation for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite “very intensive.” Daniels gives ample credit to the Pac-12 and WCC staffs, as well as the San Francisco Travel Association, in making the days as smooth as possible. 

“It definitely takes a village to take on an event at that scale and we were so fortunate to see the hard work come through from everybody,” Daniels said.

But, of course, the West Regional is far from the only major event at the House That Steph Curry Built this year. 

In fact, since the calendar flipped to 2025, Chase Center has hosted 32 events through the first 95 days of the year, including Warriors games, the NBA All-Star Game, the West Regionals and a variety of concerts and shows. The WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries begin their season in May, which will feature 22 home games, and the Laver Cup – a three-day indoor tournament of some of the best tennis players in the world – will be at Chase Center from Sept. 19 through 21.

Daniels says the NBA All-Star Game only made the Chase Center staff more well-prepared, and the Laver Cup is something she’s giddy talking about.

“We have been preparing for our 2025 for a while,” Daniels said. “We’re really excited about the events that Chase Center and Thrive City have shown up for. We were partnering with the NBA for the last year and a half. An event like that of that scale is going to make us even better for bigger events, the playoffs, bringing in the Valkyries and hosting the Laver Cup.

“I love firsts at Chase Center. All eyes from the tennis world will be on Chase Center and San Francisco, and I can’t wait.”

Splash Sports Bar and several restaurants opened in Thrive City before the NBA All-Star Game. Bayfront Park, across from Chase Center, is now filled with families on a daily basis. The growing area is what Daniels and her team always envisioned, and thinking three years down the road only opens a door to endless possibilities. 

“I could not be more excited about Chase Center certainly, but Thrive City,” Daniels said. “To have all our retailers activated before the All-Star Game was amazing and it only makes me think about what could be done by 2028. Between Thrive City, Bayfront Park and the whole area – you can feel a buzz and the community is so excited about it all.

“It’s electric.”

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