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Arch Madness 2026 Event

LittleBrave

LittleBrave

Well-known member
Hi fellow BU fans!

To celebrate hitting a milestone b-day this past yr, I'm going to St Louis for my first ever Arch Madness provided we secure a Top 5 seed. I've wanted to attend badly for about 20 yrs now (since I moved from SW Florida) and I finally can! Planning to attend one of the sessions on Fri (whichever Bradley is in) and then will attend both Sat games.
Unsure about Sun even if BU advances.

Just wanted to get an idea of what section to get seats and hotel info. It would be cool to stay at same hotel that the team is staying.

Do session tix get more expensive once the tourney starts?

TY in advance!
Go BRAVES!!!
 
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First off, if we get to Sunday you need to be there. the game this year wil be at 11 a.m.

The hotel the team stays at i belive is the Embassy Suites. Start looking for hotels...months ago. I also think it might be kind of far to walk, but could be wrong.

There is pregam parties before evry game at ballpark village, and I think they have shuttles that will get you to Enterprise.

As far as section, unless you in the all-session pass section (the bradley section), your ticket wil be wherever. Close to next weekend there will be a chart that says which section is ours. But the place is never full and you can sit wherever most of the time, just not in the all session pass section.

Hope this helps a little. There are more peopel that will know more than I.
 
BUFAN1 said:
First off, if we get to Sunday you need to be there. the game this year wil be at 11 a.m.

The hotel the team stays at i belive is the Embassy Suites. Start looking for hotels...months ago. I also think it might be kind of far to walk, but could be wrong.

There is pregam parties before evry game at ballpark village, and I think they have shuttles that will get you to Enterprise.

As far as section, unless you in the all-session pass section (the bradley section), your ticket wil be wherever. Close to next weekend there will be a chart that says which section is ours. But the place is never full and you can sit wherever most of the time, just not in the all session pass section.

Hope this helps a little. There are more peopel that will know more than I.
Click to expand...
This is very helpful to kick things off BuFan1! Appreciate it!
Wonder why they moved the Sunday title game to 11 AM? I kind of liked the 1 PM tipoff but whatever.

Isn't ballpark village right next to Enterprise Center? Took my family to the StL aquarium and ferris wheel last summer and thought we were in ballpark village, but maybe not RIGHT there.
 
Anyone know if there is a shuttle from the Bradley hotel (Embassy Suites?) to Enterprise Center?

If not, appears to be about 1 mile, and being a former Chicagoan, that's def. walkable!
 
There's never been a shuttle and I doubt there will be

There's almost always a send-off event at the hotel with the team, cheerleaders, & band....a couple hours before the BU game
- and I have usually done that rather than pregame parties.

I think it's worth it letting the team & coaches see you there and supporting the team
- altho several years ago they used to have those pregame parties at Jack Buck's pub & restaurant and they were GREAT
- buffet, lots of people, just 2 blocks walking distance to the arena. But now it's just the Ballpark Village mixed in with gobs of fans
from other teams and almost a mile away.

But if you just go to the arena as early as possible (sometimes if Bradley plays the 2nd game of a particular session
you can get there 3 hrs before BU's game time) then there's lots to do at the arena - it's like a giant mall. LOTS of BU people
will be there, lots of food and beverage choices, often there are entertainers, sponsor displays with free handouts of backpacks or
other cool stuff (look for the State Farm, Grinnell Mutual or Great Southern Bank tables.) or just get a hot dog or brat or pizza and watch
the early game.
 
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Thanks so much Yoda! And also for the recommendation to stop by the Albanese Candy store near Valpo. My son loved it!
 
Not a big fan of huge gobs of people standing around drinking and chatting, so maybe Ballpark Village isn't the place for me.
The area close to Enterprise where the aquarium is located (with the pond) is a nice place to chill too.
 
yoda said:
There's never been a shuttle and I doubt there will be

There's almost always a send-off event at the hotel with the team, cheerleaders, & band....a couple hours before the BU game
- and I have usually done that rather than pregame parties.

I think it's worth it letting the team & coaches see you there and supporting the team
- altho several years ago they used to have those pregame parties at Jack Buck's pub & restaurant and they were GREAT
- buffet, lots of people, just 2 blocks walking distance to the arena. But now it's just the Ballpark Village mixed in with gobs of fans
from other teams and almost a mile away.

But if you just go to the arena as early as possible (sometimes if Bradley plays the 2nd game of a particular session
you can get there 3 hrs before BU's game time) then there's lots to to at the arena - it's like a giant mall. LOTS of BU people
will be there, lots of food and beverage choices, often there are entertainers, sponsor displays with free handouts of backpacks or
other cool stuff (look for the State Farm, Grinnell Mutual or Great Southern Bank tables.) or just get a hot dog or brat or pizza and watch
the early game.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the memory Yoda.I attented one of the pre parties at Jack Bucks when Coach Les was here.Lots of good food,fun,and very reasonable price.Wish those parties still exsisted.
 
LittleBrave said:
Thanks so much Yoda! And also for the recommendation to stop by the Albanese Candy store near Valpo. My son loved it!
Click to expand...
yes, my kids asked all the time "when can we go back..." but dang it, this year's Valpo game up there was on a school night!

and yes, the St. Louis Union Station is loaded with things to do, shops, a couple restaurants, snack shops, soda shops,
mini-golf, maze, fun things for kids, etc and is just a couple blocks west of the arena.
 
I've been to every Arch Madness since it moved to St. Louis in 1991. Bradley has stayed at the Embassy Suites the last 10 years, and as noted, they do not have a shuttle. I used to stay there, but the last couple years the room rates have been jacked up to over $500 per night, so I opted for an AirBnB.
The team benches at the Enterprise Center are in front of sections 102 and 104. If you can get seats in 102, 103, or 104, those are the ones I go for. The MVC usually gives Bradley seats in a corner section like 114-115. But usually for Friday and Sat. Games, you can move to a different seat and the ushers don't hassle you like they used to 10 or more years ago. Not many tickets show up in Ticketmaster now, but more will after the games this Sunday are completed. And you can buy from Seatgeek or Stubhub, because some people with All Session tickets will sell off the ones for other sessions they don't go to.
 
btw if you want to catch that team sendoff at the Embassy - and maybe Da Coach can add more...
you have to be at the hotel about 2 hours before Bradley's game time.

I've been to the sendoff but personally the last couple times I've been down there I preferred to just get to the arena early,
get a great parking spot in the adjacent deck and hang out in the many places in the arena.
 
The team sendoff is on the 4th floor of the Embassy Suites near the elevators in the large dining area where the free breakfast is served. It is about 1 hour and 45 minutes before the scheduled game time.
 
The Airbnb/Vrbo is the way to go if you are staying over one night. Our group enjoys staying in Soulard. There is a popular concert at the Dome on Saturday, so that has changed the pricing and availability dynamics of the tournament.

Stubhub/Seatgeek will be your friend on Friday. You'll have the people with all session passes selling their tickets for sessions their team isn't playing in. The #1 seeded team this year doesn't have many fans somehow, so that might change things for the Friday night session.

It is nice to see Union Station making a comeback.
 
I was going to book on Expedia at Hampton Inn, just 2 blocks from Embassy Suites, which is about $180 for Friday night - definitely better than double that at Embassy! That way I can see the team for the sendoff before the game and then walk to Enterprise.
I will wait to see how we do tonight. Hoping we win so I know that I can leave Friday morning for St Lou.
I really don't want to pay a lot to stay 2 nights, but I will if I have to get Thursday night too.

I really should get tix for Friday session in adv. and then likely wait to get tix for Sat. on Stubhub/Seatgeek.

Thanks so much everyone!
 
Last Q for now - what is the parking situation (incl. cost) at Enterprise or in the vecinity? (Should I decide to get Airbnb and drive from there to the stadium)
 
There is very limited street parking and I don't trust the neighborhood too well. So the best parking advice I could give is the attached parking deck on the west side of the arena that enters off Clark Ave. (Map) Even in the parking garage, do not leave anything of value visible. Big Mike can attest to that. :confused: (he had his truck broken into)

Here is the main MVC Arch Madness website- https://mvc-sports.com/sports/arch
Tournament Central- https://mvc-sports.com/sports/2025/12/30/26archmadness.aspx

Schedule- https://mvc-sports.com/sports/2025/12/30/26archmadness.aspx
Bracket- https://mvc-sports.com/documents/2025/12/30//2026_Arch_Madness_Bracket.pdf?id=5304
 
Da Coach said:
There is very limited street parking and I don't trust the neighborhood too well. So the best parking advice I could give is the attached parking deck on the west side of the arena that enters off Clark Ave. (Map) Even in the parking garage, do not leave anything of value visible. Big Mike can attest to that. :confused: (he had his truck broken into)

Here is the main MVC Arch Madness website- https://mvc-sports.com/sports/arch
Tournament Central- https://mvc-sports.com/sports/2025/12/30/26archmadness.aspx

Schedule- https://mvc-sports.com/sports/2025/12/30/26archmadness.aspx
Bracket- https://mvc-sports.com/documents/2025/12/30//2026_Arch_Madness_Bracket.pdf?id=5304
Click to expand...
Thank you DC!
 
LittleBrave said:
This is very helpful to kick things off BuFan1! Appreciate it!
Wonder why they moved the Sunday title game to 11 AM? I kind of liked the 1 PM tipoff but whatever.

Isn't ballpark village right next to Enterprise Center? Took my family to the StL aquarium and ferris wheel last summer and thought we were in ballpark village, but maybe not RIGHT there.
Click to expand...

LittleBrave said:
Thank you DC!
Click to expand...
Metrolink is another way to go.https://www.metrostlouis.org/metrolink/
I've flown in to St. Louis and taken it from the airport all the way downtown.
 
LittleBrave said:
This is very helpful to kick things off BuFan1! Appreciate it!
Wonder why they moved the Sunday title game to 11 AM? I kind of liked the 1 PM tipoff but whatever.

Isn't ballpark village right next to Enterprise Center? Took my family to the StL aquarium and ferris wheel last summer and thought we were in ballpark village, but maybe not RIGHT there.
Click to expand...
And if these questions weren't answered yet...
The time change was strictly because of CBS. The MVC wants the championship game on the CBS Network (not CBS Sports Network like the Saturday games), and the 11 am (Central) time slot was what CBS had available this year.
https://mvc-sports.com/documents/20..._Basketball_Schedule_on_CBSSN_CBS.pdf?id=5236

And Ballpark Village is not next to the Enterprise Center. It is across the street from the downtown baseball stadium, Busch Stadium.
Map- https://www.google.com/maps/place/B...try=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDIxOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw==
The Enterprise Center is about a half mile walk west (away from the river) on Clark Ave.
 
Da Coach said:
And if these questions weren't answered yet...
The time change was strictly because of CBS. The MVC wants the championship game on the CBS Network (not CBS Sports Network like the Saturday games), and the 11 am (Central) time slot was what CBS had available this year.
https://mvc-sports.com/documents/20..._Basketball_Schedule_on_CBSSN_CBS.pdf?id=5236

And Ballpark Village is not next to the Enterprise Center. It is across the street from the downtown baseball stadium, Busch Stadium.
Map- https://www.google.com/maps/place/B...try=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDIxOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw==
The Enterprise Center is about a half mile walk west (away from the river) on Clark Ave.
Click to expand...
THANK YOU!
 
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