'Great vibe:' March Madness returns to San Francisco for 1st time since 1939
SAN FRANCISCO - March Madness at Chase Center in San Francisco attracted out of town and local fans who said they're here for tournament and the overall experience the city offers.
The thrill of a victory just added to the excitement for fans rooting for the team from the University of Arkansas against favored Gonzaga from Spokane on Thursday night.
"San Fran is an awesome town. We're having a great time," said Jason Moore, an Arkansas fan.
"It's my first time ever being here," said 12-year-old Chase Moore. "So much excitement. The stadium is so big and so fun."
There was fun inside and outside at Thrive City, where people without tickets can still watch the games on a huge screen.
There were a number of alumnae of Duke University in North Carolina who now live in San Francisco, braving the cold.
"Some of our friends have tickets so they're actually going in. For us, there is this giant tv here so we figure why not," said Traci Hirokawa of San Francisco.
"There's a great vibe. There's so many fun bars and restaurants around here and people are clearly out and ready to support, clearly a lot of fanfare," said Chaya Bhat of San Francisco.
Three generations of one family say March Madness at Chase Center is their first major post pandemic outing.
"We'll travel across the country to watch them. To see them in San Francisco is a dream come true," said Bill Schlough, a Duke fan from Los Altos.
Two fans from the South Bay said they paid several hundred dollars each for not-so-great seats: "All the way at the top. Nosebleed, nosebleed, nosebleed."
Basketball fans say love for the sport, this tournament, the venue and San Francisco are all elements that attract people from across the country and California to visit the area.
"The amenities. You've got a ton of restaurants, breweries just down the street and the people. The people are great here," said Dane Aagaard of Redondo Beach.
It's the first time the tournament's been held in San Francisco since 1939, its inaugural year.
"It's special when you can host something like this in your city and you get the opportunity to watch it, hang out, just have fun," said A.J. Jennings of San Francisco.
The two winners from Thursday night's games will move on to the next round to be played Saturday at Chase Center.
No doubt, some of the fans will be back for that.
Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at Amber.Lee@Fox.com or text/leave message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU