BLACKBSURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech Hokies have a busy week ahead as they are preparing to host tournament games for both the men’s and women’s teams.
We talked to Virginia Tech officials and some of the local hotels, and they said while this is an exciting time, there are lots of preparations to take care of before the games tip off.
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“We officially found out who we were playing, what time, TV and all that probably around 9:45-10:00 last night,” said Brian Cox, associate athletic director for Virginia Tech.
The women’s basketball team is hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row, and on top of that, the school is also hosting the first round of the men’s NIT program for the first time since 2016.
“Richmond is going to come in here later today and practice,” said Cox. “Our team is going to practice in here, and then Vanderbilt and Columbia will get here and start practicing tomorrow while we are also having a game.”
Cox said while it is a lot to handle, it’s their goal to make the experience in Blacksburg great for everyone.
“Our mantra is ‘This is Home.’ So any time that you are a visitor or guest, we want to make sure we are rolling that red carpet out and treating you as you want to be treated,” Cox said.
It is not only the university that is preparing for the influx of people. One local hotel manager said they are already preparing for the busy week ahead.
“We immediately were like let’s get ready for it, and then, this morning we came in and we had 15 or 16 reservations already booked up starting on Tuesday throughout the weekend,” said Andrew Crowder, general manager at Home2 Suites in Blacksburg.
He said weeks like this are great opportunities for local businesses.
“You see it across football, basketball, but anything that they do,” said Crowder. “The economic impact through the entire New River Valley is definitely huge.”
While games start on Tuesday with the Hokies playing the Richmond Spiders, officials said they will make sure they are more than prepared.