DAYTON, Ohio — The NCAA tournament is back in Dayton. After a two-year hiatus, the city is hosting the First Four tournament kicking off March Madness across the country.
For fans and business leaders alike, it’s a welcome return to form as the city prepares to host guests from across the country.
Ed Ganzmann, a basketball fan living in Dayton, said he felt a change in city morale starting Sunday afternoon.
“You can just see the city come alive again,” he said.
Ganzmann attended the Hoopla events in the Oregon District, and watching the city come together and celebrate basketball really brought the excitement home.
A lifelong Indiana Hoosiers fan, Ganzmann said he always looks forward to the tournament, but this year, the stars seemed to align. The Hoosiers are in their first NCAA tournament since 2016, and their first game is in his new hometown. That’s why Ganzmann said he couldn’t miss it for the world.
“You have no idea,” he said. “It’s just such a pleasure to see these guys finally.”
He’s one of a few thousand the city is expecting to fill the seats at UD Arena over the next few days, including hundreds from out of town.
Holly Allen from the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce said the First Four tournament typically brings in an estimated $4.6 million in economic impact between visitors coming to the games and local fans filling watch parties at bars and restaurants.
“I think it really fits into who we are as a community because basketball is in our blood,” she said. “To be able to welcome people back to the area for basketball to be able to put on a big show and throw a big party, it’s been great to see things getting back to normal.”
Joe Abrahms at Jimmie’s Ladder 11 said his restaurant started feeling the boost last week when the Girls OHSAA Basketball tournament was underway last week. He said his restaurant was hard at work feeding teams, hosting big groups here to watch, and greeting those from out of town.
Abrahms expects this next week to be even busier.
“Usually we tend to be pretty busy for it and it’s looking like that way again,” he said.
After the pandemic canceled the tournament in 2020 and 2021, Abrahms said his restaurant could use the change in pace, and Allen said they’re far from the only ones.
“They’ve needed a shot in the arm like this,” she said. “It has been two years of just not being able to do the things that we wanted to do.”
Now, she said, the chamber is hoping these events can kick-start a longer recovery, showing Dayton in a good light on the national stage.
“It’s a great opportunity to show off what we have to offer people here in the Dayton area,” she said. “What it might be like to call Dayton home.”
Dayton is excited to host a hometown team in the tournament. Wright State University will play in the third game of the First Four, taking on Bryant, Wednesday night.
Allen hopes that will spur big crowds at UD Arena and watch parties across town.
“Anytime we have a hometown team playing in the big dance, it’s just a little extra exciting for us,” she said.