With the MSU men's basketball team's opening round NCAA Tournament matchup against Colorado is nearing, fans are finalizing plans on where they'll tune in for the game.

But with war on the radar, most fans are opting to stay in East Lansing for Friday's opener, which will be played in Tampa, Fla. That should leave local bars packed with students ready to cheer on the Spartans (19-12).

"I'll be at Buffalo Wild Wings, and I will definitely be watching the game there," packaging junior Chris Teagan said. "There'll probably be a lot of drunks to make it fun, too."

For those diehard fans who want to travel with the team on its trek for a third national title, finding a ticket won't be easy. Tickets at the 20,000-plus seat St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, sold out weeks in advance.

But, the Spartans will still have friendly faces in the stands come tipoff - and some will have instruments in hand.

Baritone player April Shaw, a zoology senior, arrived in Tampa on Wednesday evening by plane, along with about 30 other band members, 12 cheerleaders and Sparty.

"I'm really excited to be here," she said. "With the trip, I realize there are some perks that go along with being in the band because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to come."

While many fans wish they could go, lack of money has posed a problem for some students.

"If I could go, I would," pre-medical freshman Laurie Evans said. "I'd even try to scalp a ticket. Who cares if it's illegal. It would be really cool to go see the team play."

Because she's on a tight budget, Evans said she would use Greyhound bus as her mode of transportation and stay in the cheapest hotel she could find.

For students, a round-trip bus ticket from East Lansing to Tampa - a 24-hour ride with numerous stops - costs $129 with a valid student ID.

For students interested in taking the estimated 19-hour drive, about 100 rooms are still vacant at the Holiday Inn Express in Tampa for this weekend, costing about $100 a night.

Nikki Mandish, sales representative for Tampa's Fairfield Inn by Marriott said rooms are scarce with only four unoccupied for Friday and Saturday. But none are vacant on Thursday and Sunday.

For those fans still interested in flying, Travelocity.com lists a round-trip ticket for Thursday and Monday for at least $920 for people flying out of Lansing's Capital City Airport, 4100 Capital City Blvd. The Web site prices a round-trip ticket out of Detroit Metropolitan Airport at $508.

While many fans are apprehensive about traveling, Evans says people cannot become timid because of the looming crisis.

"It would be an extremely rare occurrence if something did happen here," Evans said. "It wouldn't stop me from going. There's no point in worrying about it. You still have to live your life."