COLUMBIA, S.C. — We are just days away from tip off in March Madness.
The Gamecocks women’s basketball team plays the first round of the NCAA tournament this Friday at home. As the basketball team prepares for the big game so are local businesses.
“With the championship coming up it’s going to be a lot busier but we normally max out our reservations on days when there's games across the street,” Amber Livingston said.
Livingston is the general manager at the 1801 Grille, directly across the street from Colonial Life Arena, she says the restaurant is making sure to be fully staffed for Friday's game.
The first and second rounds of the women’s March Madness tournament will be played here in Columbia.
“Normally the women’s games are more popular but even the men’s games have been bringing in some people from out of town so it’s been to see some people who aren’t just from around here come in as well,” Livingston said.
With the women back in the big dance , Gamecock merchandise is hot. Barefoot Campus Outfitter is expecting big sales this weekend as people shop for gameday gear.
“We’re expecting it to be pretty busy because it’s a big game and we’re right across the street so it’s really convenient for people,” Baylee McCourt cashier at Barefoot Campus said.
With all eyes being on Columbia this weekend, hotels in the area say they’ve been booked for weeks.
“Having people’s eye on Columbia, thank you dawn Stanley, is tremendous for Columbia as a city but as Columbia's boutique hotel, the only boutique hotel now, it helps us move up the SEO and people are searching for us,” Rita Patel, owner of Hotel Trundle, said.
Hotel officials say they look forward to the march madness crowd
“All the attention is very much welcomed and we really appreciate anyone that contributes to that,” she said.