As soon as Detroit was announced as a site for this weekend’s NCAA Tournament basketball games, MSU alumnus DeArron Easley knew he had to go.
“I decided to go to the games at Ford Field because I am a basketball nut who loves this time of year,” he said.
The 2003 graduate bought tickets to the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games more than a year ago in February 2007.
“This will be my second time attending tournament games, as I did attend the 2001 Final Four,” Easley said. For many MSU fans, the prospect of the Spartans playing in Detroit was reason enough to buy tickets before the tournament was announced. Dave Beachnau, executive director of Detroit Metro Sports Commission, said many of the pre-sale tickets probably went to hopeful Spartans fans.
“I was hoping that MSU played in Detroit, but after the brackets were announced, I think where they are now is an easier road than attempting to go through Kansas, even though the home court would have been huge,” Easley said. “I will find a TV inside Ford Field and watch the game, as I think both games will be great games and I do not want to miss either.”
Although the MSU men’s basketball team won’t be a part of the action at Ford Field, thousands of college basketball fans are expected to congregate in Detroit for what will be a record-breaking weekend.
Tonight, Kansas will play Villanova and Wisconsin will take on Davidson, with the winners of each game facing off in Sunday’s regional final.
Mark Engel, University of Detroit Mercy’s sports information director, said about 55,000 tickets were sold before the participating teams were announced, and he said he expects that number to increase.
“We’re trying to get as close to capacity as possible,” Engel said. “The teams that made it were scrambling for more tickets, which will drive the attendance up.”
The number of tickets already sold surpassed the regional game attendance record of 42,519, which was held by the MSU vs. Kentucky game at the St. Louis Trans World Dome in 1999.
Looking ahead to the increased number of out-of-towners expected to arrive in Detroit, local businesses around Ford Field are ready for the crowds.
Paul Gilbert, general manager of Detroit Beer Co., said his restaurant will focus on making sure the people who have come into town for the games are enjoying themselves.
“We hope to show the tourists a good time in downtown Detroit,” Gilbert said.
Because his restaurant is close to Ford Field, Gilbert has been preparing for the increased business by hiring more staff. On top of the NCAA weekend, Gilbert has been hiring because of opening day for the Detroit Tigers.
“We’ve been doing training for two or three weeks to get everyone trained and ready to go,” he said.
Other nearby businesses, such as Lola’s restaurant, are prepared for a busy weekend.
“We have definitely geared up for it,” restaurant manager Reginald Love said. “We’ll definitely be welcoming the visiting fans with open arms.”
Detroit also will host the NCAA 2009 Final Four, making this weekend a dry run for next year’s marquee event.
“This weekend is a dress rehearsal for Final Four next year,” Beachnau said.
Most of the setup for the Final Four will be the same as this year, such as configurations for a larger expected crowd in Ford Field.
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“We’re moving the court to the 50-yard line, increasing capacity to 75,000,” he said.
Although this weekend will go a long way in ironing out any complications the city may have in hosting the Final Four, it only can do so much in helping the city prepare, Beachnau said.
“With the Final Four, you have the coaches’ convention, the Hoop City fan fest and other ancillary events,” he said. “It’s a completely different animal.”
