Sundance Square continues to make a fan of ESPN

January 11,2015

Sundance

The view of Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth where the ESPN broadcasting sage is located on January 9, 2015. (Kye R. Lee/The Dallas Morning News)

FORT WORTH — Planners of major sporting events are avoiding the mega regional approach taken by Super Bowl XLV, when events here were scattered far and wide.

Dallas is the focus this weekend, with attention switching to Arlington on Monday for the College Football Playoff National Championship.

But Fort Worth is solidly established as a destination even when the city isn’t hosting a team, parties or official events. ESPN brought more than 50 broadcasters, and many are working in Sundance Square. The network has camped out there for the Super Bowl, Final Four and College GameDay.

Claude Clanton of Granbury, who toured the sets this week with his son, said he’s happy to see ESPN returning and moving some of the spotlight to the west.

“It gives Fort Worth a time to shine,” he said. “Fort Worth doesn’t get a chance that often.”

Dallas has created new public spaces in downtown in recent years but none that have been able to come between the ESPN-Fort Worth love affair.

A few ESPN shows broadcast from Gilley’s Dallas near downtown this week. And the ESPN shows in Sundance Square will move to Dallas for Saturday’s media day.

But don’t jump to conclusions.

Lee Fitting, senior coordinating producer for College GameDay, said he couldn’t commit to returning to Fort Worth for future events. But he said ESPN did check out other locations, including downtown Dallas.

“The space of Sundance Square is absolutely perfect for what we need,” he said. “There’s just nothing that could offer what Sundance Square offers.”

JEFF MOSIER