Dickies Arena in Fort Worth is hosting first and second round NCAA Tournament games this weekend. The NCAA awarded the early rounds to Fort Worth in 2017 in anticipation of the arena opening in 2019.
The arena will host four first round games Thursday and two second round games Saturday.
The first game to tip-off will be East Region No. 1 seed Baylor against No. 16 Norfolk State at 1 p.m. No. 8 Michigan will then play No. 9 Marquette at 3:30.
Two games from the Midwest Region will follow: No. 8 San Diego State vs. No. 9 Creighton at 6:27 and then No. 1 Kansas vs No. 16 Texas Southern at 8:57.
Wednesday, each team had a 40 minute window to practice on the court at Dickies Arena. Fans could watch for free.
"I'm just checking it out," said one man who lives in Fort Worth. "The March Madness tournament's always fun to watch, so getting to see the teams come out and practice beforehand is a cool experience. I haven't done it before."
One couple had come from Boston. They say they travel to early round NCAA Tournament cities frequently and decided to come to Fort Worth because this was the first time games had been held at Dickies Arena.
"You've got to remember: We grew up with Boston Garden before it was rebuilt," the husband said. "We've come a long way. This is a beautiful arena, and the city's been very, very friendly. It's a nice place to visit."
The Fort Worth Sports Commission estimates the first and second round games will have a $6 million economic impact.
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