TAMPA, Fla — For the second straight year, the NCAA tournament is running it back in Tampa Bay, bringing the rounds of 64 and 32 to Benchmark International Arena this weekend.
The premier college basketball tournament draws thousands of fans, and local leaders say the city's atmosphere is a major reason the event keeps returning.
WATCH: NCAA March Madness tournament returns to Tampa Bay as thousands of college basketball fans visit the city
"It really does start with the people here in the community that rally in support of it. And then you add the destination, right? You have convenience, accessibility, one of the greatest airports, one of the greatest championship campuses. We have so many assets. It's a fan experience mecca here in Tampa," Claire Lessinger, senior vice president of events for the Tampa Bay Sports Commission said.
Lessinger told Tampa Bay 28's Blake Phillips that March Madness is an opportunity the commission jumps at every chance they get.
"We're a proven host city for so many reasons, and we've built great relationships with the NCAA. So when we get the opportunity in a bid cycle to go after this event, we are," Lessinger said.
The draw goes beyond the economic impact: it is about the fan experience. During an open practice Thursday for the Florida Gators, the arena was packed with supporters making the short trip from Gainesville.
Thousands of other fans are traveling from places like Ottawa, Illinois, Nassau County, New York and Colorado.
Leslie O'Rourke and her family traveled from Denver. Her two sons, Thomas and Will, love basketball, and the family takes a trip every year for March Madness. This year, they just happened to land in Tampa without a specific team to root for.
"I'm going to wear my Tennessee gear tomorrow when all the Florida fans are here," O'Rourke said.
Mike Day, a fan visiting from Illinois, shared a similar sentiment about enjoying the tournament as a neutral spectator.
"It's actually kind of enjoyable when you don't have a rooting interest, and you can just watch a good game, you know, instead of getting mad at your team's losing or, you know, excited, a little less pressure," Day said.
There was also a group of die-hard Hofstra fans. The program has not played in the tournament in over 20 years. They made it in 2020, but the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
"I've been waiting for that my whole life because like they haven't been there since 2000? 2001, when the coach was actually a player," Chris Candela said.
"I mean, we were there in 2020 in DC when they won the CAA title, and then the tournament got canceled, so I was like, I'm coming this time. I don't really care where it is. I gotta make a trip," Liam Rohrecker said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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