Organizers say tournament will bring thousands to the Capital District to root for their favorites
ALBANY — March Madness takes center stage at the MVP Arena as the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Regional arrives in the Capital District. From March 29 to April 1, eight teams will play for their chance to be one of two teams heading to the Women’s Final Four the following week in Cleveland.
“There’s going to be good competition and good teams, and we’re very appreciative to have the event,” said Nathan Sims, MVP Arena assistant general manager. “It’ll be a very well-attended event. It’s already selling well. We’re excited about the outcome and think we’ll be close to being sold out.”
The tournament is slated to bring in travelers from across the state and country. The weekend that the NCAA men’s tournament took place last year was the highest pattern of visitors spent in Albany for the entire month.
“We’ve had a lot of travelers,” said Sims. “We’ve been lucky enough in the past to have good draws that have brought a lot of people with them.”
“Albany has responded extremely well,” said Director of Sales and Sports Commissioner for Discover Albany Jay Cloutier, regarding Albany’s history of hosting major sporting events.
He said hosting events like these is made possible by the community’s efforts to prepare.
“Everybody sees the 14,000 people filling the arena on game day, but what goes unseen is that there’s a group of about 40 businessmen and women who gather for monthly meetings to discuss parking strategies and transportation issues,” Cloutier said.
The local organizing committee consists of business professionals. Some are tied directly to the activities such as the Albany Business Improvement District (BID), MVP Arena and Discover Albany, but others are interested community members “who make sure that all of the t’s and i’s get crossed and dotted,” said Cloutier.
In addition, the committee formed through the Sports Foundation of the Capital Region, focuses on making sure that they’re meeting the women’s tournament needs with the equity that they provided the men’s tournaments in the past.
“We’ve just successfully hosted the men’s first and second rounds last year in March,” he said. “When the teams get here, they will receive the same red carpet service and treatment that the men’s teams got.”
Cloutier’s responsibilities are to shepherd the hospitality resources to ensure everyone, from the players to the press to the visitors, feels welcome in Albany.
“We’ve been working on this for about a year now,” he said.
Monthly committee meetings ask essential questions that include where the fans will park, what restaurants will be open, how involved they would like to be, and hotel availability.
“I think there’s a great economic impact on the area. All the restaurants and hotels get good business,” said Sims.
Activities are also being planned to make sure that the community, particularly young girls, are aware of the opportunity to see high-level women’s basketball.
“There are efforts to make sure people feel a part of this,” said Cloutier.
“On our end, it’s a lot of planning prior to an event like this coming in,” said Sims. “That planning makes the event set up easier when we get closer to the date.”
Prior to the event, the floor must be set correctly, lighting and cameras are set up, and the facility works to achieve the unique specifications of hosting a high-level, televised basketball competition.
“There’s a lot of eyes on it,” said Sims. “It’s a bigger scale.”
Cloutier said the success of the MVP Arena hosting these events is first and foremost the reason Albany gets these events.
“The NCAA never loses sight of the fact that the game is the most important thing,” he said. “When they [MVP] put in a bid and promise to do something to make their event as good as it can be, they deliver on it and add extra.”
“It’s going to be a great event,” said Sims. “There’s going to be a lot of excitement around the building and the area.”
For more information, visit mvparena.com.
