The University of Memphis is gearing up to host the men's NCAA Tournament on March 16 and 18.
The Pyramid Arena will be the site of the South Region's first and second round games to be played on Thursday and Saturday.
Bob Winn, assistant director of athletic media relations, said that the NCAA only allows the host institution to handle the activities associated with the tournament.
"We are in charge of everything from the start, from selling tickets to taking care of media to hanging signs," Winn said.
Winn said that preparation for the tournament begins two years in advance. He said that guidelines for tournament operation were outlined at a meeting between NCAA and university officials last summer in Indianapolis.
Winn said that the NCAA is very detailed in their rules and they expect everything to be followed in a certain manner.
The U of M is also in charge of accommodating the eight teams invited to the region, their fans and the media. The Peabody Hotel is the media headquarters for the event.
"We can put two teams in a big hotel such as The Adam's Mark or The Crowne Plaza, but they would rather you put one team in each hotel," Winn said.
The Memphis Convention and Visitor's Bureau is looking forward to the economic impact the tournament will have on the city.
"Anytime we have a group like that, we treat them like any convention group," said Denise DuBois Taylor, the bureau's vice president of public relations. "We want them to spend their money, eat at our restaurants and party on Beale."
Taylor said that the average tournament goer is expected to spend about $187 per day while in Memphis.
The Pyramid is also the home of the SEC Women's Tournament, beginning with first round games today and ending with Sunday's championship game.
Assistant Athletic Director Bob Kilpatrick said the two tournaments will not create any scheduling problems.
"There is actually a week between the tournaments, so The Pyramid has plenty of time to prepare," Kilpatrick said.
The U of M hosted the NCAA Tournament in 1995 and 1997. In 1997, the Pyramid saw two days of great games with Kansas and Arizona advancing from here to the regional semi-finals. Top-seeded Kansas was upset by fourth-seeded Arizona, and the Wildcats went on to win the national championship.
The South Region could possibly be host to top seeds such as Duke, North Carolina, Iowa State or Illinois. The NCAA requires that tournament games be played at neutral sites, so if the University of Memphis makes the tournament, they will be sent to another site.
Winn said that the U of M can earn up to $200,000 if the tournament is managed successfully. He said that the NCAA can deduct money if the host school strays from the rules.
The U of M is looking to run a successful two-day event, with hopes of hosting future tournaments.
"We have applied for Final Four's in the past, but the NCAA Men's Tournament is so big now, that they have gone to the Superdomes and the 60-70,000 seat arenas," Winn said.
Winn said The University is now focusing on attaining a possible regional semi-final and final.
He said that The University applied for the later rounds this year, but the NCAA opted to give the U of M the early round games once again. Kilpatrick said he thinks that a later round game is out of reach for The Pyramid.
"We have had the first and second rounds, but I don't believe they are going to give us a regional final or semi-final," Kilpatrick said.
Winn added that the U of M is currently bidding on the 2007-2009 tournaments.
