Van Wagner is used to working within the existing footprint of professional and collegiate venues, but when they head to Houston, it’s one of the more unique setups that includes a distance of one mile between their dedicated workspace in one building to the main PA booth in another. Returning to the Space City for the first Men’s Basketball Semifinal and Championship since 2016, the crew is once again working with the production crew of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

At the 2023 Men’s Final Four, Van Wagner’s Vice President, Creative Services, Ryan Kehn, and Senior Producer Daniel Zerunyan discuss what it’s like to work next to NRG Stadium in the control room at NRG Center, how the centerhung used for rodeo productions impacts their workflows for this weekend’s productions, and how they adapted to the unexpected entries of San Diego State University and Florida Atlantic University.