March Madness comes to SAP Center in San Jose
March Madness kicks off at San Jose's SAP Center
The SAP Center has been transformed from a hockey and concert arena into a basketball stadium to host two high-stakes Sweet 16 games.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The madness of the NCAA Tournament has officially arrived in the South Bay.
March Madness arrives
What we know:
Four of the nation's top college basketball teams have descended on San Jose to compete in the Sweet 16 round of the West Regional.
The SAP Center, typically home to the San Jose Sharks and major concert tours, has been fully converted into a basketball venue for the next several days.
The backstory:
This marks the third time in the last four years that March Madness has returned to the Bay Area, following last year's West Regional at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
The action tips off Thursday afternoon with the Big Ten champion Purdue Boilermakers taking on the Texas Longhorns.
Following that contest, the West Regional's No. 1 seed, the Arizona Wildcats, will face off against the SEC champion Arkansas Razorbacks.
Economic impact
This year, basketball is sandwiched between February's Super Bowl in the South Bay and the World Cup in June.
Tipoff is providing an economic tradeoff as Santa Clara County once again becomes a sports epicenter.
Officials with San Jose's Downtown Association say when this city last hosted an NCAA regional, there was $7.6 million in economic impact.
"Hosting these tournaments downtown at the SAP Center is a fantastic showing for all that we have to offer here in San Jose," said Brian Kurtz, association CEO.
Kurtz said not only do the games bring visitors to the city, the teams are also renting out restaurants, bars and other destinations, bringing business to San Jose.
"Most places are close to the SAP Center. Lots of restaurants downtown and lots of things to do while you're waiting for the next game," said Arizona Wildcats fan Noble Jackson.
The winners of Thursday's games will return to the court on Saturday to play for a spot in the Final Four.
Fans show up
What you can do:
Beyond the games at the arena, the city of San Jose is hosting several community events for fans.
The "Superfest" fan zone will be active at San Pedro Square through Saturday, offering a hub for basketball enthusiasts and families.
Fans were out in full force Thursday afternoon.
"March Madness is my absolute favorite. And we just come for the atmosphere and good basketball and great stories about kids working hard and this is the dream," said Texas Longhorns fan Stacey Sjoberg.
Additionally, a large-scale drone show is set to light up the sky over Discovery Meadow on Friday night.
Tickets for Thursday’s doubleheader are still available. A single ticket provides access to both Sweet 16 games, with the first tip-off scheduled for 4:10 p.m.