Wednesday’s late game pits the Texas Longhorns, with their huge fan base, against longtime Dayton Flyer rival Xavier University, which surely will bring a crowd of fans up I-75 from Cincinnati.
“We are very hopeful that fans will come and cheer on their teams, and certainly having some heavy hitters makes that maybe a little more plausible. But we also look at things like Xavier being here — that will sell tickets,” said Jacquelyn Powell, president and CEO for Destination Dayton. “We definitely will be having some full houses here (at UD Arena) over the next couple of evenings.”
The game schedule
Tuesday, 6:40 p.m.: St. Francis Pa. vs. Alabama State
Tuesday, 9:10 p.m.: North Carolina vs. San Diego State
Wednesday, 6:40 p.m.: American vs. Mount St. Mary’s
Wednesday, 9:10 p.m.: Texas vs. Xavier
Practices open to fans
One of the fun, lesser-known sides to the First Four is the ability to watch the teams practice at UD Arena for free (and maybe get a few player autographs). Parking at the arena is also free for the practice sessions.
On Monday, UD Arena doors open for practice at 4 p.m. Team practice times are: St. Francis (PA) 5:05-5:45 p.m.; Alabama St. 5:50-6:30 p.m.; North Carolina 6:35-7:15 p.m.; and San Diego St. 7:20-8 p.m.
On Tuesday, the Arena opens at 11:30 a.m. Team practice times are: Mount St. Mary’s 12:05-12:45 p.m.; American 12:50-1:30 p.m.; Xavier 1:35-2:15 p.m.; and Texas 2:20-3 p.m. After Texas' practice, the Arena will be emptied, with doors reopening to game ticket-holders at 5 p.m.
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
How to see the games
Tickets for the First Four: Tickets are available through http://daytonhoopla.com/tickets.
Arena parking: Parking passes for lots A and C for Tuesday and Wednesday are available to the public for $30. Parking passes for Tuesday only or Wednesday only are $20. Parking passes can be purchased online via TicketMaster or at the University of Dayton Arena Ticket Office adjacent to lot A from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays in advance of the First Four. General parking is available for $20 (credit card only) in lots C and D the day of the games. For more information, call the University of Dayton Arena Ticket Office at 937-229-4433.
TV schedule: Every game of the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments will be broadcast live. The First Four games will all be on the TruTV channel. For the rest of the tournament, men’s games will air on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms, including Paramount+. The women’s tournament will air on ESPN’s networks and streaming services, with select games on ABC.
Community offers welcome
UD Arena staff spent Sunday setting up the special NCAA March Madness logo court that will be used in the First Four.
Dayton has hosted the First Four games since 2011 (and the single “opening round game” back to 2001), a responsibility that UD Arena Director and NCAA First Four tournament manager Scott DeBolt said is an honor for the organization.
“There’s just a lot of pride that the community takes in this, and there are so many people who are involved in making it happen,” DeBolt said.
The First Four will stay in Dayton through at least 2028. With two years added to the agreement, the number of NCAA tournament games at UD Arena will grow to 153 games by 2028. No venue has hosted more NCAA tournament games than UD Arena. The number grew to 137 in 2024. The arena first hosted postseason games in 1970, the same season it opened.
Along with providing logistical accommodations for the First Four teams and events, DeBolt said the Dayton community’s cordiality is second to none.
“The biggest thing is that Midwest hospitality that the teams get when they arrive ... We treat all eight teams like it’s the Final Four and roll out the red carpet,” he said. “We have their fight songs, pom poms and their team colors, and welcome them when they get into Dayton every year, and that’s something they don’t get at all the other sites.”
While the community rolls out the red carpet to teams, having fans of traditional powerhouse teams traveling from across the country (and Xavier fans coming up I-75) could mean thousands of people enjoying local restaurants and nightlife to “really make a celebration out of it.” Powell said. That equates to money coming in from outside of the community into the greater Dayton area, which is a boost to its economy, she said.
“Some of those teams are farther away, so that means they’re not only going to be spending money here locally on the normal things, but they’ll be flying (in) ... and possibly renting cars, those kinds of things, so that’s very helpful, and increases that economic activity.”
Weekend had special events
Sunday kick-started a week of First Four-related activities. The day began with the Hoopla 4 Miler run/walk, followed by the annual STEM Challenge later in the afternoon at Wright State University’s student union.
“... We like to involve the entire community and, even if you’re not a college basketball fan — and, I don’t know how that’s possible — we have things that can involve people," said Terry Slaybaugh, volunteer chair of The Big Hoopla. “The STEM Challenge combines STEM and basketball, and the winners of that will appear here during the first game at halftime.”
The Big Hoopla also highlights local Airmen and Guardians at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, awarding 2,000 tickets over the two nights of the First Four to allow Air Force members, their families, veterans and local students to experience it.
“It’s also a chance for us to showcase what a great community we have here in Dayton,” Slaybaugh said.
Staff Writer Eric Schwartzberg contributed to this report.
