March Madness: Chase Center Set To Host NCAA Sweet 16 As Coach K Makes Final Tourney Run
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) – Chase Center in San Francisco is set to host the Sweet 16 of the NCAA men's tournament on Thursday, with spots in the Elite Eight on the line.
While tickets are selling quickly it's not just about the play on the court. Chase Center went through quite a transformation in three days since the Warriors last home game. By Wednesday, crews were working on the finishing touches.
"I actually got tickets to the games tomorrow. I'm super excited about that," Ishmam Nawar told KPIX 5.
Nawar will join thousands of other basketball fans as Gonzaga faces Arkansas and Texas Tech tries to knock out Duke. If that happens, Chase Center maybe the place Mike Krzyzewski will coach the final game of his legendary career.
Coach K's final season at Duke has attracted fans from all over the world.
"It wears on you a little bit because everywhere you walk, everyone is taking a picture of you and they're watching everything, look, that gets old," said Krzyzewski, who has led the Blue Devils to five NCAA championships in his four decades as coach.
Tickets are almost sold out for Thursday's event with the cheapest tickets starting around $400. Some fans are willing to pay the price to watch one of the best coaches ever in college basketball.
Omar Fierros says, "I think just as a fan in general, you don't need to know anything about basketball but I think when you hear Coach K, it's a legendary name."
Nawar adds, "Honestly just history, everything with Team USA all of that, and I don't think it's going to be the last game because I think they're going to be in the Final Four.
Arkansas vs. Gonzaga is scheduled to tip off at 4:09 p.m., with the matchup between Texas Tech and Duke tentatively scheduled for 6:39 p.m.
The winners of Thursday's games will face off in an Elite Eight match on Saturday, with the winner advancing to the Final Four in New Orleans.