As soon as the MSU men’s basketball team’s selection for the 2011 NCAA Tournament was announced Sunday night, the calls started pouring in to Nicole McCallen.
“My cell phone was ringing off the hook,” said McCallen, the president of the MSU Alumni Club of Tampa Bay, Fla., and an MSU alumna. “I got a lot of text messages, and I had a lot of e-mails asking about tickets. … Everyone’s really excited to have the team down here.”
McCallen and MSU alumni in Tampa Bay aren’t the only excited fans. Spartans across the country will cheer on the No. 10-seed Spartans as they tip-off against No. 7 seed UCLA at 9:20 p.m. Thursday at St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla.
Meanwhile the MSU women’s basketball team is heading into the NCAA Tournament following the most successful regular season in program history as Big Ten champions. No. 4-seed MSU will take on No. 13-seed Northern Iowa at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan.
MSU alumna Amanda Zedrick lives in Wichita and is excited to see her alma mater in her hometown.
“I’m really excited,” Zedrick said. “The last time I was able to go was when they were in the championship game, and I was in school then. We’re really happy to be able to go and hopefully cheer them on.”
The trip and tournament presents an exciting opportunity for MSU alumni and fans, said Scott Westerman, the executive director of the MSU Alumni Association, or MSUAA.
The team’s bid to Tampa is an ideal draw for MSU, Westerman said, noting Florida has the one of the largest populations of Spartan alumni in the country.
“There’s an influx every winter (of MSU alumni who return to Florida), so we have a very large contingent down there,” he said. “It couldn’t be any better than Tampa for us.”
Tickets
For those hoping to attend Thursday’s contests, fans can purchase tickets to all tournament sessions on Thursday and Saturday through St. Pete Times Forum for $231. Tickets go on sale to the general public on ticketmaster.com at 9 a.m. today or can be purchased at sptimesforum.com.
For those heading to Wichita, fans can purchase tickets through the arena’s website at intrustbankarena.com.
MSU expects to fill its allotment of 550 tickets for the first round of the men’s game, Associate Athletics Director Paul Schager said. Tickets are being distributed to university donors, player guests and university officials, Schager said.
Despite the limited number of tickets available, Schager said he expects strong fan support.
“It’s always a function of where it is — where the games are,” said Schager. “There will be more people in Tampa (at the game) because there will be more alumni. … We have a lot of loyal people.”
Activities
Spartans who can’t attend the game are in luck, though.
McCallen said the club already has planned a game watch party at Wings Gone Wild, 3114 West Bay to Bay Blvd. The group also has met there in the past for MSU football games and NCAA Tournament contests.
“I think this is really about getting the different alumni groups together,” said McCallen. “I’ve seen a lot of posts out there on Facebook and Twitter — I think everybody’s really looking forward to it.”
Mike Disser, the owner of Wings Gone Wild, said the restaurant has plans to host a similar event Saturday should the Spartans win Thursday.
“I think people will come here before or come here after (the game),” he said.
Alumni and fans can attend a pep rally at the team hotel, the Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore, 2225 N. Lois Ave.
Highlights of the rally — which is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Thursday and end at 6 p.m. — will include performances by the Spartan Brass, cheerleaders, the MSU Dance Team and Sparty. It also will feature appearances from President Lou Anna K. Simon and men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo, McCallen said.
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According to the MSUAA there currently aren’t any plans for a pep rally in Wichita for the women’s team, but there are still plenty of activities for people planning to visit the area.
The Exploration Place, located at 300 N. McLean Blvd., in Wichita, is a hands-on museum with a number of unique exhibits.
Along with the numerous exhibits, Exploration Place has a theater that’s unlike any other, said Bluml.
“We have the largest film theater,” she said.
Unlike a traditional theater with one large screen, Exploration Place has a projection that surrounds the audience, she said.
Restaurants and Lodging
With multiple hotels and restaurants within walking distance of St. Pete Times Forum, Spartan fans have plenty of options when it comes to travel arrangements.
Rob Higgins, the executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, said the impact MSU fans and other tournament attendees have on the city potentially could be large.
“We expect it to be within the $10 million to $15 million range (in terms of economic impact),” he said. “We project it will consume 9,000 to 10,000 hotel room nights.”
For Spartans looking to snatch some of those rooms, the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina, 700 S. Florida Ave., has blocked off a group room block for alumni of various schools attending the tournament.
“We’re thrilled to be a part of this,” said Mike Falconer, the director of marketing with the hotel.
“(The block is part of) a special rate we offer to make attending this event more affordable.”
Although the Westin Tampa Harbour Island, 725 S. Harbour Island Blvd., is sold out for Thursday night, the facility has rooms available on Friday and Saturday night, the hotel said. The Embassy Suites Hotel Downtown Convention Center, 513 S. Florida Ave., on the other hand, already is sold out for those two nights.
Near INTRUST Bank Arena there is a newly remodeled area known as Old Town. Old Town is home to some of the top restaurants and hotels in Kansas.
Courtyard by Marriott Wichita at Old Town, located on 820 E. 2nd St., is the newest hotel in the city and is within walking distance of the stadium.
A benefit of staying in Old Town, aside from the proximity to the arena, is it’s home to several restaurants, Zedrick said.
River City Brewing Company, located on 150 N. Mosely St., is one of the best places to enjoy the gameday atmosphere, said Jessica Spiva, a bartender at the restaurant.
“We do brew our own beer, which is amazing,” Spiva said. “We have a bunch of flat-screens, which we play all the games on. We have a friendly staff, and all of our food is completely homemade from scratch.”
For a steak dinner, Spartans can look to Scotch & Sirloin, 5325 E. Kellogg Drive, as general manager Sonny Gleason said it has the best steak in town.
“We’re known as Wichita’s prime rib specialist,” Gleason said.
“We’re home of the best beef in Wichita.”
Local restaurants in Tampa also will play a part in the tournament experience for Spartan fans.
Stephen Davis, the owner of The Luxury Box Restaurant, 490 Channelside Drive, said his restaurant will feature extended hours on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to accommodate fans.
“We’re anticipating a big impact on (business),” he said. “I’m the only restaurant within 100 yards of the (St. Pete Times Forum), so that should have a big impact.”
The Garage Bar & Grill, 1120 E. Kennedy Blvd., will have drink specials on Friday and Sunday and also is within walking distance of the arena. The Marriott Waterside Hotel also features Champion’s Sports Bar, which will cater to tournament attendees.
