It was a packed sports weekend turning Benchmark International Arena into a hub for fans and local businesses alike.
TAMPA, Fla. — Two major March Madness matchups brought thousands of college basketball fans flooding into downtown Tampa on Sunday, filling restaurants, bars and sidewalks while injecting a surge of spending into the local economy.
Florida, the tournament’s No. 1 seed, fell to No. 9 Iowa in a heartbreaker for Gator fans, 73-72. It was a showdown up until the final seconds in the second round at Benchmark International Arena. This only days after the Gators steamrolled 16-seed Prairie View A&M by 59 points on Friday night. A second-round game between Texas Tech and Alabama was also underway Sunday evening at the arena. The Crimson Tide was ahead 49-25 heading into the second half.
The back-to-back games capped a jam-packed sports weekend in the region, which also hosted the Valspar Championship golf tournament in St. Petersburg.
For fans who packed the arena and the surrounding blocks, the atmosphere carried a sense of occasion.
“It’s something that I’ll never get back,” said Cliff Craig, a Florida fan who attended Sunday’s game.
Florida supporters draped in blue and orange were out in force, turning downtown Tampa into a sea of Gator colors. Parker Schneider, a Florida fan, described the energy in and around the arena.
“It’s just a lot of fun to see all the fans,” Schneider said. “I think we’re all pretty hype. We have a good team this year. Being a No. 1 seed is awesome.”
Not all fans rooting Sunday were cheering for the home-state team. Members of the Frost family, Iowa supporters who said they now live in Florida, came out to cheer on the Hawkeyes — and said they were not above a little sideline recruiting.
“Sometimes people aren’t Florida fans, they’ll be the other team’s fans,” said Shelley Frost. “So we will try to recruit. Anyone with a yellow shirt will be susceptible to becoming an Iowa fan.”
Even amid the rivalry, the Frost family acknowledged the broader significance of hosting a major NCAA tournament weekend.
“This is a big win for Tampa,” said Candice Frost. “It just kind of shows and highlights what an awesome city this is. It’s growing and why people should come and visit.”
Don Frost echoed the sentiment about the city’s appeal. “We just love downtown Tampa,” he said. “We could have moved anywhere. When we retired, we moved to Tampa.”
Local businesses reported a steady stream of customers moving between venues throughout the day. Dave Cutcher, a fan making the rounds, described his itinerary: “From The Yard House over to the arena over to American Social now. We’re going to come back here then head back in. We’re giving every business in downtown Tampa a little bit of money today.”
The convergence of basketball and golf over the same weekend drew notice from fans across both events.
“When you’re at one venue versus another, everyone is talking about it,” said Cliff Craig II. “You’ll have the Valspar playing on TVs down here at Benchmark. At the Valspar, people are wearing their Gator gear talking about going to the game. So all of it being in the same weekend has really been excellent.”
Shelley Frost said the downtown geography made the whole experience easy for out-of-town visitors.
“That’s one of the things that frightens people in Tampa — it doesn’t take you long to get down here,” she said. “We parked way down here and loved every minute of walking because we meet people. The weather is gorgeous. Come on down, it’s the best time to be here.”