March Madness at SDSU brings big crowds and dollars

Zoom in: There was palpable energy on campus even though SDSU teams weren't playing.

• More than 34,000 fans packed Viejas Arena over the weekend to watch No. 1-seed Arizona's dominance and the St. John's buzzer-beater to top Kansas.

By the numbers: SDSU's athletic department expects to bring in more than $200,000 from hosting the event, athletic director JD Wicker told Axios.

• That doesn't include additional money from concessions and parking.
• The NCAA pays schools an "honorarium" as a financial thank-you for hosting, but typically keeps the money from ticket sales, he said.

Flashback: Sports San Diego estimated $6–$10 million would flow into the local economy when SDSU hosted March Madness in 2022, KPBS reported.

Between the lines: Games also create brand exposure for the city and the university, with SDSU logos around the court and media reporting they're at Viejas Arena in San Diego.

• "It's a built-in commercial," Wicker said.

The intrigue: SDSU has typically made money during March Madness through NCAA payouts to the Mountain West conference. That pot is based on how many teams make the tournament.

• So the Aztecs missing the tournament this year meant lost revenue for the conference, but SDSU wouldn't have seen that money anyway since it's moving to the Pac-12, per Wicker.
• The university expects to make more money for March Madness runs in the Pac-12, where the payout structure gives teams bigger portions, he said.