March Madness; Milwaukee tourism expected to spike amid NCAA tournament
Milwaukee tourism expected to spike amid NCAA tournament
Marquette will be playing the role of "host" while teams play in Milwaukee during the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
MILWAUKEE - Marquette's the one team the NCAA won't allow to play in Milwaukee for the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
They're officially playing the role of "host."
But local tourism leaders are still happy with the teams coming to town.
Tourism spike?
By the numbers:
If there was one thing tourism leaders could change about the Milwaukee region for this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament, it isn't the weather. It's who's not here this time around – the Wisconsin Badgers.
If there was one thing tourism leaders could change about the Milwaukee region for this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament, it isn't the weather. It's who's not here this time around – the Wisconsin Badgers.
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Still, at Sports Milwaukee, director Marissa Werner said the brackets should benefit local business. She estimates Milwaukee will welcome 19,000 visitors, largely due to the fact that some big-name programs will be here.
March Madness: Marquette Golden Eagles react to NCAA bracket release
The Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball team is headed to Cleveland to take on the New Mexico Lobos in the NCAA Tournament.
That means bars, restaurants and hotels are gearing up.
"I don't think we could have asked for any better teams," Werner said. "It is great to have good traveling teams that bring a lot of fans with them, like Kentucky. We've got Iowa State that's right around the corner. We've got Illinois."
Coming to town
What they're saying:
University of Kentucky basketball fans usually travel well. But this week, their head coach might have sold Milwaukee better than anyone.
"I'm going to say something I'm going to regret, but it's only a seven-hour drive," head coach Mark Pope said. "If anybody's having trouble with gas money, hit me up. Let's go. Let's get all BBN out there."
They'll play the Troy Trojans, who stopped in the Deer District on Wednesday night. Head coach Scott Cross said he's hoping to make a few fans out of those who live here.
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"We like to think the closer the game is, the longer it goes, the more the average fan will cheer for the Troy Trojans, and then maybe put a little pressure on 'em," Cross said.
You can expect to see a lot of orange, maroon, Kentucky blue and Carolina blue leading up to Friday's games.
The Source: The information in this post was produced by FOX6 News.