For the third time in three weeks, the Spartans are about to find themselves surrounded by Buckeyes.
With the Big Ten championship title under its belt, the MSU men’s basketball team will begin its quest for its third National Championship, facing LIU Brooklyn at 9:30 p.m. Friday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Despite being in the heart of Ohio State territory, the Spartan faithful will have plenty of opportunity to enjoy the weekend to the fullest with their fellow fans.
Spartans who make the trip will be in the company of nearly 3,000 MSU alumni within 20 miles of the arena, Assistant Director of Alumni Groups David Brown said.
Joining them will be students and other fans dedicated enough to brave the enemy territory and enjoy the sights and sounds of Columbus while they’re at it.
Getting in the door
Students planning to make the four-hour trek to Columbus for the second and third rounds will find a variety of avenues to secure tickets for the games.
Although MSU will not receive a set allotment of tickets for any tournament games unless the Spartans play their way to the Final Four in New Orleans, tickets can be purchased from the NCAA through Ticketmaster or online at marketplace websites such as StubHub.
Joellen Ferrer, a StubHub spokesman, said tickets are available at tiered prices. Fans can buy “strip” tickets for the entire weekend starting at $174 or tickets for three separate sessions at lower costs.
The second round MSU game is included in the session two package, which is being sold starting at about $70 a piece. The package also includes the matchup between Memphis and St. Louis.
If the price is too steep, Ferrer recommended students hold off on buying tickets until closer to tipoff.
“Because a ticket has a shelf life, sellers price their tickets lower as the event time approaches,” she said. “At one end of the coin, you run a risk of lower availability at the last minute, but there’s (also) more potential to get a better value.”
At the time of publication, Ferrer said about 56 percent of the strip tickets were purchased in Ohio, followed by 10 percent bought by fans in Michigan. For session two, 22 percent of tickets were bought by Michiganians, second only to Ohio, and less than 5 percent from each of the other 48 states.
Pepped up
Besides the game itself, Columbus offers several options for Spartans searching to have a great weekend.
The MSU Alumni Association and the Spartan Fund will co-sponsor a pregame sendoff at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel, 50 N. Third St. — the team hotel.
Sarah Skilling, MSUAA assistant director of alumni and donor relations, said fans are expected to meet in the lobby around 7:30 p.m. to send the team off to the arena.
Skilling said because of a lack of availability, the pregame send-off will occur in lieu of a pep rally that normally would have taken place.
“There wasn’t any space available,” Skilling said. “So this was another great way to get as many Spartans there as possible and get the team pumped.”
The MSU brass, cheerleaders and Sparty also will send the Spartans on their way, Skilling said.
The men’s basketball team won’t be the only Spartans in town. At 11 a.m. Saturday, the men’s soccer team will scrimmage against the MLS Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium — less than five miles from Nationwide Arena.
The MSUAA and the Central Ohio MSU Alumni Club also will co-sponsor a game-watch party at the Three-Legged Mare, 401 North Front St.
The classic Irish sports bar will be MSU exclusive after 9:30 p.m. and can accommodate up to 500 people both inside and outside.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
Eating greens
In addition to the watch party being hosted at the Three-Legged Mare, there are a number of restaurants and bars fans can stop in to catch some of the tournament action.
Buckeye-themed Eddie George’s Grille 27, 1636 N. High St., will broadcast each game of the tournament with live sound for a select few.
Although Eddie George’s Grille 27 is not offering special food or drink deals for the weekend, manager Elton Chenault said it will host a tournament bracket challenge on ESPN.com for a chance to win $10,000.
For fans who want a more MSU-centric environment, BD’s Mongolian Grille, 295 Marconi Blvd., is another option.
Owned by MSU alumni Tim and Ronda Hobart, the restaurant will be decked out in green and white to welcome Spartan fans.
“I just dusted off all my (MSU) flags and basketball gear,” Tim Hobart said. “We’d love to be able to turn (the restaurant) into an ‘East Lansing south’ if we can.”
Hobart also said his staff will create green and white drinks to honor MSU.
“We’re super excited that our beloved Spartans are coming to the area,” he said.
Wait and see
With the team’s potential as Final Four contenders, communication junior Kevin Negron has decided to skip the second and third rounds in Columbus to save for a potential Final Four run.
“The Final Four is just a bigger stage (than the first two rounds),” Negron said. “It’s an experience in itself.”
Although some students are deciding not to attend this weekend, alumnus Guy Jenkins said it’s a great opportunity because of the proximity.
“(There) isn’t a lot of opportunity to go to (these types of) games so close,” Jenkins said. “I’ve never been to Columbus, but if you rent a room for two nights and walk around Columbus on Saturday, it should be a lot of fun.”
