First Thursday Of March Madness In Las Vegas Is A Holiday In Sin City
By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
It’s First Thursday of March Madness in Las Vegas, a day that should be a holiday as college basketball fans from around the United States descend on on Sin City for the NCAA national hoops tournament.
Las Vegas is already prepped for basketball. Just last week, this market hosted 106 basketball teams from five college basketball conferences at five arenas from the Strip to Green Valley in Henderson.
During these strange, and sometimes troubling times, as our nation emerges from a two-year-long virus pandemic, these college athletes displayed a level of earnestness and commitment that was inspiring. In a country split by divisiveness and stricken with anxiety about everything from soaring housing costs to health issues, these teams showed intensity for a common cause with their faithful showing public love. It was good to see.
Today in Las Vegas, the first game of March Madness — Mountain West’s Colorado State vs Michigan — was beamed on big screens at sportsbooks across the city. With 68 teams from coast-to-coast, it’s probably a good chance you have a personal connection in some manner to one of these colleges even if you didn’t attend it.
Take UNLV here in Las Vegas. The Runnin’ Rebels defeated Colorado State not once but twice this season, including last month’s 72-51 thumping at Thomas & Mack Center where there was an emotional jersey retirement ceremony for Robert Smith, the former great Rebels point guard who watched his number 10 jersey installed in the venue’s rafters.
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Colorado State was leading, 36-29, at halftime. But the 14-loss, 11-seeded Michigan team began taking control of the game in the second half as the Wolverines enjoyed a 57-54 advantage with 6:27 to play in regulation. With two minutes to go, Michigan had an eight-point lead.
Then, more games. On the big screens at sportsbooks from Westgate to Circa to Mandalay Bay, South Dakota State was trying to upset Providence, while another Mountain West team, conference tourney champ Boise State, was taking on Memphis.
The Colorado State Rams — the team defeated by UNLV twice — ended up losing to Michigan, 75-63. The eleventh seed advanced.
Welcome to March Madness in Las Vegas.
PSA
