Although the MSU men’s and women’s basketball teams are playing away from their home in East Lansing this weekend, don’t expect there to be a shortage of green and white clad fans supporting their teams during the first rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
“We are going to have so many Spartans at that game,” said Michelle Cooke, an MSU graduate and president of the MSU Inland Northwest alumni club, of the men’s first round game in Spokane, Wash. “I think everyone will be surprised.”
As the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region, the Spartan men will travel to Spokane to play No. 12-seed New Mexico State at 7:20 p.m. Friday at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.
The MSU women, who also are a No. 5 seed, will play No. 12-seed Bowling Green at 12:11 p.m. Saturday at Freedom Hall.
Cooke said the more than 300 MSU alumni in the Spokane area have been waiting to see their Spartans play for a long time.
“We are so excited,” she said. “We are so far away from East Lansing, and now the team is coming here to our own backyard. It’s incredible.”
Lodging
In Spokane, The Red Lion Hotel at the Park, 303 W. North River Drive, is the place to stay for any fan concerned with being close to the games. Located less than a half mile from Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, the Red Lion also is where the men’s basketball team is staying.
Cooke and other MSU fans from the area gathered at the Red Lion on Tuesday to welcome the team when it arrived.
“They seemed really surprised to see us,” Cooke said. “I don’t think they thought there were that many of us way out here.”
Other than the Red Lion, The Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St., in Spokane is located within walking distance from the downtown area, but is more expensive than other lodging options. For more economical choices, the Holiday Inn Express, 801 N. Division St., and Oxford Suites, 115 W. North River Drive, are similarly located.
For students, alumni and fans looking for a convenient place to stay while in Kentucky, there are a number of close-by lodging options in historic downtown Louisville.
The Louisville Marriott Downtown, 280 W. Jefferson St., offers a complimentary shuttle from the airport to its hotel and is located minutes away from Freedom Hall.
“It’s right in the heart of downtown,” hotel employee Latonya Barlow said. “We’re big sports fans down here.”
Other possible options include The Brown Hotel, 335 W. Broadway St., a historical hotel also located downtown, and the Courtyard Louisville Airport, 819 Phillips Lane, which is closer to Freedom Hall and the center of the action.
Hang outs
Fans willing to travel to Spokane for the first round most likely will watch the games in the arena, but for getting together before the game or a possible celebration after, Sergio’s Heroes and Legends, 825 W. Riverside Ave., is where most Spartans will be.
Although not an official alumni bar, Cooke said MSU fans feel right at home at Heroes and Legends.
“They’re incredible to us,” she said of the bar. “They’re letting some of their wait staff wear green and white and letting us put up pennants.”
Jeff Panagos, the general manager at Heroes and Legends, said the bar has no problem with being hospitable to the Spartans fans.
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“We just appreciate sports fans,” Panagos said. “We do whatever we can to better help people, and MSU fans have been loyal patrons.”
Patrick O’Shea’s Irish Pub, 123 W. Main St., is the place to be if you’re in town for the women’s tournament looking for the perfect sports bar, said MSU alumnus and Louisville resident Woody Edwards.
“It’s a nice atmosphere for the young and the not-so-young who wish we were young again,” Edwards said laughing. “Both of my sons went to MSU and when they come to town, that’s where we always go.”
Other hot spots include Champions Sports Bar and Restaurant, 280 W. Jefferson St., located 10 minutes from Freedom Hall and Rootie’s Sports Bar and Grille, 12205 Westport Road, a casual, family-oriented sports bar.
“March Madness is everywhere in here,” Champions manager Royston Green said.
For sports fanatics, the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, 800 W. Main St., only is a 15-minute drive from Freedom Hall.
Gameday Atmosphere
On Friday, MSU fans can head to the Red Lion to see the team and wish them luck for their game against the Aggies.
“We’re having a send off right before they have to go to the arena,” Cooke said. “Everybody in town for the game, the band, the cheerleaders and hopefully Sparty is going to be there.”
The weather should not be a problem for fans walking to the hotel for the rally and eventually the arena for the game. Sunshine and temperatures as high as the low-60s are expected in Spokane throughout the entire weekend, according to Weather.com.
Tickets still are available for fans thinking about going to Louisville for the women’s game against Bowling Green. Fans can purchase tickets, which cost $16 each, through the MSU Ticket Office. Men’s tickets no longer are available.
Those traveling to Kentucky can attend an open practice from 12-1 p.m. Thursday at Freedom Hall on to watch the team prepare for the big game. The event is open and free to the public.
Weather-wise, the National Weather Service predicts rain will hold off until after the women’s basketball game Saturday.
“Hopefully the weather will be nice for the people coming down,” Edwards said. “We’re really hospitable around here.”
