The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is coming to New York, as Buffalo is hosting both first- and second-round games.
The tournament comes to town just about every four years, and so getting a feel for the craziness that is March Madness has kind of become a tradition for some.
“It’s exciting. It’s very exciting. People love it,” said Steven Piscitelli, an Ellicottville resident rooting for the University of South Florida.
The banners are up, tickets are bought and rooms are booked as March Madness takes to the hardwood at the KeyBank Center.
“This will be the eighth time over the last 20-plus years that we’ve been able to host the NCAA, rounds one and two,” said Patrick Kaler, the president and CEO for Visit Buffalo.
Powerhouses and teams looking for an upset got their practice in on Wednesday as fans and staff prepped.
“You got Michigan and Michigan State,” said Sam Hunt, who keeps official statistics for the game. “Two top teams, seed one and seed four.”
Hunt knows how wild the atmosphere can get.
“All the points and fouls, turnovers, assists, blocked shots, everything that comes actually from me,” he said. “I’m the spotter.”
He looked back at the Duke-VCU game in 2007, which had a game-winning score with 1.8 seconds left.
“We had 18,000 people here for that for that moment,” he recalled. “Just to hear that roar of that crowd, and that was actually the first upset that year.”
The increase in foot traffic is welcomed as Western New York’s cold winters aren’t exactly the biggest draw. And typically, the first quarter of the year is a bit of a down time.
“Having these types of events have a big impact during that soft period of time for our hospitality industry,” said Kaler.
The city is hoping to leave a good impression and keep people coming back for more, tournament or not.
“That magic window of time on Thursday, in between the two sessions, you’ll see lots of these orange caps that are in the shape of a basketball directing people where to go, and how to get to and from the arena very quickly, and to get a bite to eat as well as maybe a beer,” said Kaler.
There’s plenty of love for teams and the folks who lead them.
“We love South Florida because our daughter-in-law is Bryan Hodgson’s sister,” added Piscitelli. “So we’re excited that he’s back here in Buffalo.”
For those making their way into town from around the state, it’s recommended to park at a parking ramp downtown and take the metro rail from there. Otherwise, be prepared to pay more for the closer parking lots.
On Thursday, East Region No. 11 South Florida will face No. 6 Louisville (1:30 p.m.) and No. 14 North Dakota State will take on No. 3 Michigan State (4:05 p.m.). In Midwest Region games, top seed Michigan will take on No. 16 Howard (7:10 p.m.) and No. 9 Saint Louis will face No. 8 Georgia (9:45 p.m.). Second round games will take place Saturday.