"I love it!": March Madness fans take over Sacramento with eyes on the prize
SACRAMENTO -- If March Madness is "The Big Dance," then the day before could be considered the warm up. At least it was for fans who traveled to Sacramento to support their favorite teams in the first round of the NCAA Men's March Madness Tournament.
The finishing touches went in at Sacramento's Downtown Commons on Wednesday morning before teams arrived for open practice. Fencing, signage, and security check-in points were set up for March Madness to officially begin on Thursday.
With it, some fans chose to get the lay of the land early and catch a glimpse of their favorite team before the game.
Some traveled hundreds of miles as part of a yearly tradition. Nancy and Kyle Moquist, from Montana, set out on a month-long basketball trip that included a stop in Las Vegas for the West Coast Conference Tournament. They made their way to Sacramento, with a few stops in between, for the first time in 21 years.
"I love it!" said Nancy, who has only attended March Madness match-ups at the Kings' former home, Arco Arena.
The couple has been married for 41 years — 33 of those spent attending the first round of March Madness. A tradition that they've only been forced to miss due to 2020 and the pandemic.
"I like the first round. You got all the underdogs. Final Four is for the big boys," said Nancy.
The tournament provides an opportunity for some to reconnect with alumni close to home. For Laurie and Mike Sweeting, the University of Arizona's Wildcats placement in Sacramento at Golden 1 Center couldn't have been closer -- they live in DOCO.
The Sweetings met while attending the University of Arizona and believe their last name is a sign of what the team can do.
"Cause we're a very sweet couple and they're going to the Sweet 16!" said Laurie.
The day before was just the beginning of the fan experience. It's expected to pick up early at DOCO as games start Thursday morning.