Until this year, there was a window of at least two hours between the first grouping of games at most men's basketball sites and the second session. The earliest games would begin from noon to 12:30 p.m.
With Stan Donaldson
Managers of The Q are puzzling over an enormous logistical problem only days before the NCAA games tip off here Friday: how to move about 20,000 fans out of the building, tidy up the place, then seat the people again -- all in about 30 minutes.
Until this year, there was a window of at least two hours between the first grouping of games at most men's basketball sites and the second session. The earliest games would begin from noon to 12:30 p.m.
Now the NCAA is spreading tournament coverage over four TV networks, so that every game is available to viewers. To do that, start times of many early games were pushed back. Cleveland found out Sunday night that it was getting the biggest bump. Our first game, George Mason vs. Villanova, won't begin until 2:10 p.m. The second game, featuring Ohio State, won't start until at least 4:40 p.m., with its end brushing up on 7 p.m.
Since the networks don't want games lasting much past midnight, the start of the second session of games weren't altered much. The Cleveland night games are set for 7:27 and 9:57.
Coordinators are working with the NCAA on a plan to manage the flow of people out of the facility and back in, Tad Carper, vice president of communications for the Cavaliers and The Q, said Monday. Separate tickets are required for each session.
"We're very confident that we can put our experience and the NCAA's expertise to good work and have a plan in place that will do the job," Carper said.
Fewer than 1,000 tickets remained for the general public Monday. They must be purchased in the three-session package over The Q's website, theqarena.com.
Tucson has the same predicament as The Q. Their games are Thursday, but they have done this before.
In 2000 and 2005, the event staff at the University of Arizona's McKale Center had 20 minutes between sessions to clean the place and move about 15,000 fans out of the building through a single bank of doors and back through the ticketing line, said Suzy Mason, tournament director.
Cleaning crews mobilized to tackle restrooms long before the last game ended, she said. The concession stands closed during the last four minutes of the game to encourage fans to stay in their seats -- and out of the crew's way. And ticket takers, security officers and media coordinators all threw on rubber gloves, grabbed plastic bags and frantically collected trash the moment seats were vacated.
Mason is hoping the networks offer enough flexibility to trim halftimes from 20 to 15 minutes and even eliminate the national anthem to save about two minutes between games.
"With all hands on deck, it can be done, even if you have to manage a little bit of chaos," Mason said. "I just assumed that's why they call it March Madness."
In Cleveland, only 2,200 seats are reserved each session for people from the competing schools, who have tickets to individual games. The rest of the spectators will have tickets for both Friday sessions and a two-game grouping Sunday.
Usually during the break between first-day sessions, the spectators scramble from the arenas in search of food and drink at nearby restaurants and bars. Time will be a problem Friday.
Still, the establishments predict a busy weekend. Managers of spots adjacent to The Q said they should do well because of the surge of Ohio State alumni and fans expected to visit. Some said schools with other teams coming here have called to secure space for private parties.
"I don't know who is going to stay in there for 10 hours and watch basketball all day," said Steve Zornes, general manager of the City Tap on Prospect Avenue. "It may not be as good as a 2½-hour break, but there will be plenty of business for everyone."
Sean O'Donnell, general manager of Flannery's Pub on Prospect, said he expects busy crowds all weekend.
"You can't drink at the game, and there will be a lot of people who want to come to the pub before, after and during the tournament," he said. "Then you have the people who just want to be a part of the moment. We will take them all."