Whether it’s California, Louisville, Notre Dame, or Connecticut that take home the Final Four trophy, the Crescent City is the biggest winner this weekend. The victors of the NCAA Women’s Basketball are dribbling into NOLA, and they’re bringing youth clinics, charity runs, and a Tourney Town with them.

The male version of March Madness may command more dollars, but this year they're forced to go to Atlanta. The women, however, get to come to New Orleans, and this weekend the surviving female college basketball teams pack up their gym bags and touch down in the Big Easy for the Women’s Final Four. 

This ain't afros and mattress dominoes. The battle to claim the world record for the largest game of that age-old playground basketball game you play when you don't have enough for two-on-two known as knockout is starting to resemble, well, a game of knockout. New Orleans might've been the record holder after the Final Four. But before that could even make it out through the press machine, the faithful at Iowa State University responded from the proverbial free throw line to reclaim the record they held a year ago.

by Shay Sokol

As any John Calipari or Bill Self could tell you, there's no faking it to a national championship. Such was the lesson for 37-year-old Napoleon Williams, who was caught in the act by scalpers while trying to buy four tickets for today’s championship game with counterfeit $50 bills on Saturday, WWL-TV reports. The Georgia man was trying to buying the tickets outside the Superdome when ticket sellers saw the fake bills and called over two NOPD officers, who chased after Williams, and found more sham bills on him. He faces $10,000 bond - in real money.

Mayor Mitch's moves were the talk of the Fair Grounds last week, as Landrieu demonstrated his skills in preparation for JazzFest. Turns out, da Mayor was just warming up for a tambo turn on national TV. Landireu joined Trombone Shorty and some other local luminaries on the CBS Final Four intro video, which aired Saturday night as the basketball extravaganza was kicking off. As we all noticed the other night, NOLA was lookin' pretty sharp in the video, which was set to Shorty's "Do To Me."  Just like the Convention and Visitors Bureau likes it. Watch it again after the jump.

Sixty-five teams have been whittled to two, and March Madness will culminate tonight as the Superdome houses its fifth Final Four Championship.  The La. Western R/R won big on this day in 1880 when they made the country’s first railway produce delivery, from Lacassine to Lake Charles.  Since then, New Orleans has seen much Final Four history.  In 1982, Michael Jordan finished his freshman season with a game winning jumper for North Carolina that became known as "The Shot." Keith Smart returned with his own winner in 1987.  We’ll see who makes history tonight.  

Today, Mayor Mitch has declared it Free Throw Friday, so we get a concert for the Final Four featuring Vintage Trouble, Cowboy Mouth, And KISS. Dax Riggs and Mount Carmel take the stage in their retro rock styles at One Eyed Jacks, and Nicky Da B gets the Circle Bar bah bah bah bah bah...bouncing. On this day in Pelican State history, Vernon Parish was created, named after George Washington's Mount Vernon home (1871). Now back to today:

For the players of Louisville, Kentucky, Kansas and even the kids from a football school like Ohio State, stepping onto the court at the NCAA Final Four is the stuff of hoop dreams. But like each player, the hardwood that will form a Superdome stage this weekend also has a story, and it's been through an arduous March journey. Come on, you didn't think creating a basketball spectacle in this football-obsessed town would be easy, did you? Read on for the full chronicle.

We may not have a dog in this weekend's Superdome-hosted college sports championship fight, but as always there will be plenty of clips of New Orleans and her vast array of great musicians. Apparently, the development team even looked at this year's JazzFest poster. Trombone Shorty is issuing a call via Facebook to those who want to be a part of one of those clips to come out to spots in the 6th Ward and French Quarter on Tuesday for filming.

Maybe it's the cemetery that always reaked so much havoc with the Saints. The Superdome, which will host the Final Four this weekend, has been home to some of college basketball's most infamous moments over the years. From The Shot that propelled Michael Jordan to stardom to Chris Webber's ill-conceived timeout, sports writer Bud Poliquin takes a look at some of the classic moments that Louisville, Kentucky, Kansas and Ohio State will try to live up to. But history isn't the only reason New Orleans is a good place for a Final Four. There will be music, too!