SPOKANE, Wash. — March Madness has officially arrived in the Lilac City and tournament preparations are well underway.
Crews are setting the stage for the first round of the men's NCAA Tournament taking place at the Spokane Arena. The March Madness logos, NCAA signs and empty seats are in place right now, but in less than 24 hours, teams will begin practicing and playing on the arena floor.
The Spokane Arena is all but ready to host the first and second rounds of the men's NCAA basketball tournament. The event this year is hosted by the University of Idaho.
"We're not 100% there yet, but by the end of the day, this place is gonna be looking pretty great," said Jerek Wolcott, the assistant athletic director at the University of Idaho. "We sold out faster than any other arena in in the the host sites. Just excited to be here, to get this going. And to put on a show for the NCAA, for everybody across the country."
Wolcott said the actual court players will play on was brought in from the NCAA itself. All week, arena employees have been hard at work to get the arena fitted the way the NCAA wants.
"The NCAA just has higher expectations," said Matt Meyer, the director of the Spokane Public Facilities District (PFD). "And so it's just making sure all those little things are done and set up ready to go."
Unlike the usual events, facilities hosting NCAA games had to prepare media seating, a large press room and physical and digital signage around the arena.
"It's all that extra marketing, all that extra promotion for the city, let alone the economic impact that's coming into town," Meyer said.
Spokane is the only city hosting both a men and women's game for the NCAA tournament.
"This really is the epicenter for NCAA basketball this weekend. And across the country," Wolcott said.
The first NCAA game kicks off at the Spokane Arena at 10:45 a.m. on Friday. If you don't have a ticket (or can't wait until Friday), the arena will be open to the general public so fans can come watch teams practice for free starting Thursday. Practices are expected to take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More to Every Story
As basketball fans flock to the Spokane Arena, an increased police presence will be downtown to help keep everyone safe. There will be an increased number of patrol officers around the arena, but the Spokane Police Department (SPD) is doing a lot of work behind the scenes.
Undercover officers and electronic surveillance will be keeping an eye on the crowds. SPD said it's part of the plan to make sure everyone can have a great time and focus on the games.
"Basically weave all of that together to provide a better, safer, more secure environment, not just for the athletes that are coming but for everybody that's coming into downtown to enjoy the spectacle," SPD Lt. Terry Preuninger said.
SPD is also adjusting officers' schedules to take on the major staffing of the NCAA Tournament.
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