LSU set to host two rounds of Women’s NCAA basketball tournament
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – The NCAA women’s basketball tournament tips off inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Friday afternoon.
The Lady Tigers are the No. 3 seed for the third straight year. The defending champs are hosting the first and second-round games at home. Rice, Louisville, and Middle Tennessee will also be in town competing.
“The reason that’s so important is because you get to play in front of your home fans,” said Grant Kauvar, LSU Athletics. “You don’t have to go to play an away game and that fan support is so important it can bring energy to the team.”
Kauvar said the top 16 seeds host the first two games at home to boost attendance for women’s games.
Officials say the tournament is a huge economic driver for LSU and the city of Baton Rouge.
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“We know that when these visitors come, they don’t just stay in our hotels and spend money there and go to a basketball game. But they also go to our restaurants. We know they also go to some of these, you know, music festivals or events going on,” said Laura Cating, Senior VP of Marketing Communications at Visit Baton Rouge.
Speaking of festivals, the inaugural Red Beans and Rice Festival is happening downtown on Saturday. It’s free and open to the public.
For the basketball games, doors at the PMAC open at 11:30 a.m. on Friday. The first game for the Lady Tigers is Friday against Rice University. Tip-off is around 3 p.m.
If the team advances, they will play the winner of the Louisville vs. Middle Tennessee State game on Sunday. The time is yet to be determined.
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There are no games on Saturday.
LSU Athletics says tickets are still available through the school or SeatGeek.com. According to the sports department, SeatGeek is the official partner. Officials say NCAA changes could impact seating for season ticket holders.
Fan gear will be available at the sports shop next to the PMAC.
The baseball team is hosting the SEC tournament along with the NCAA tournament.
Additional events happening this weekend, March 22-24, are the Red Stick Farmer’s Market and Roarin’ on the River.
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