5 things to know about the March Madness games in Charlotte
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March Madness returns to Charlotte this week with six NCAA men's basketball tournament games taking place at Spectrum Center in Uptown.
Why it matters: All eyes are on Charlotte when the big dance comes to down. Plus, thousands of fans will be staying in hotels, dining at restaurants and traveling through our airport this week.
Catch up quick: College basketball's biggest stage last stopped in Charlotte in 2018.
What they're saying: "I know the importance of being able to play close to home, so playing in Charlotte for potentially the first two rounds and being closer to our fans is a big deal for us, but it's just fun coming into the tournament," North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis said in a statement.
Here are five things to know about the games in Charlotte.
Charlotte hosts first and second round games.
Four first-round games took place Thursday, March 21, at Spectrum Center. Two second round games will be played there on Saturday, March 23.
Schedule and scores
Here are Saturday's games:
Here are Thursday's scores:
- No. 9 Michigan State beat No. 8 Mississippi State 69-51
- No. 1 North Carolina beat No. 16 Wagner 90-62
- No. 7 Texas beat No. 10 Colorado State 56-44
- No. 2 Tennessee beat No. 15 Saint Peter's 83-49
Tickets
Tickets for round two in Charlotte start at $249. Your ticket gets you into both games.
Transportation
Expect heavy traffic and pricey parking. The CityLYNX Gold Line Streetcar and the Lynx Blue Line both include stops right outside the arena.
- The Gold Line, which is currently free, runs east and west from Elizabeth just over the Hawthorne Lane bridge to west Charlotte near Johnson C. Smith University.
- The Blue Line runs north and south from UNC Charlotte to I-485. Weekly unlimited rides cost $30.80. Oneway fare costs $2.20 for adults and $1.10 for kids.
Mobile sports betting
Legal mobile sports betting kicked off in North Carolina on March 11, just in time for the tournament.
- The American Gaming Association estimates that $2.72 billion worth of legal bets will be placed on this year's NCAA tournaments, Axios' Ivana Saric reports.
Editor's note: This story was originally published on March 20, 2024 and was updated on March 22 to reflect scores and Saturday's games.