The NCAA Tournament Selection Show aired on March 13, and soon after, March Madness made its return to the city of Indianapolis.

The tournament began on Tuesday in the First Four round, taking place in Dayton, Ohio. Then the tournament really begins to ramp up in the first and second rounds, when games will be hosted in Indianapolis. The first round began yesterday, March 17 and will continue throughout the day today. The second round will take place the next two days. 

There are many host sites for the first two rounds in the NCAA Tournament. These include: KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, Dickies Arena in Fortworth, Texas, Moda Center in Portland Oregon, Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.

One thrilling part about this year’s tournament is the addition of fans into the arenas. With last sports season being greatly affected by COVID-19, being back to full capacity will only make the NCAA Tournament more electrifying and intense.

Teams will also be able to experience traveling city to city as they move farther along in the tournament. Last year, the tournament was entirely placed in Indianapolis as it was the only host site. Games were placed in historic venues like Hinkle Fieldhouse, Assembly Hall, and Mackey Arena. It will be great for the players to be able to experience a true NCAA Tournament as they travel across the country hoping to make a deep tournament run.

Having the opportunity to host such an exciting and remarkable event like March Madness is truly a great experience for the city of Indianapolis. Not only does the city benefit financially, but it also is able to show the beauty of the city and state. Many local restaurants and bars will face their largest financial gains due to part of the tournament being hosted in the state. It is great to see the Hoosier State, which is already known for its rich basketball traditions, being able to take part in the greatest basketball tournament in the world.