The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament returns to Columbia this week for the first time in almost 50 years

March 22, 2019

It’s great to have March Madness in Columbia. This weekend, the tournament is returning to Columbia for the first time in almost 50 years.

Remember, tourism is up 50% in South Carolina since 2010 and is now a $22.6 billion industry. Having these NCAA tournaments is not going to hurt!

Friday 3/22

Session 1 Game 1—12:40 PM: #8 Ole Miss vs #9 Oklahoma
Session 1 Game 2—30 minutes after Game 1: #1 Virginia vs #16 Gardener Webb
Session 2 Game 3—7:10 PM: #1 Duke vs #16 North Dakota State
Session 2 Game 4—30 minutes after Game 3: #8 VCU vs #9 UCF

Caught up in the hype surrounding the appearance of Duke star and South Carolina native Zion Williamson, I dropped by Colonial Life arena yesterday to take in the free practice session. Zion did not disappoint.