COLUMBIA, S.C. — For the first time in nearly 50 years, the NCAA's March Madness basketball tournament is coming to Columbia.
The first and second rounds of the men's tournament will be held at Colonial Life Arena, and excitement in the capital city is already building.
"I'm living here, so I've got to be there," Vincent Davis said.
"Our TV's going to be on it all day, every day," Corey Tucker said.
Staff at Experience Columbia have been working with businesses across the city to prepare for the thousands of fans expected to arrive.
"There's enough hotel rooms booked, restaurant visits to have a three, four million dollar economic impact just from the teams themselves," Scott Powers, Executive Director of Experience Columbia SC Sports, said.
Although we won't know until Sunday, which teams will play in Columbia, the debate on who could make it is in full swing.
"Any team from the SEC," Bill Henderson said.
"They say Duke may be in the bracket," Tucker said. "That's the team I really want to see because I'm a Duke fan."
"Maybe South Carolina will pop-up back in it," Anthony King. "You never know they could be a Cinderella."
The men's tournament will be at Colonial Life Arena on March 22 and 24.