March Madness is underway, and Portland will host six games in the first and second rounds of the men’s NCAA tournament this week.
This is the first time in three years that fans are back in the stands for the men’s and women’s tournaments. Games will be played at 35 different sites, including the Moda Center.
Fans rush from the Moda Center after the Portland Trail Blazers' 110-93 win over the Miami Heat on April 2, 2016.
Bradley W. Parks / OPB
The most high-profile Portland game will be Thursday afternoon, as No. 1 seed Gonzaga from Spokane takes on No. 16 seed Georgia State at 1:45 p.m. Gonzaga made it to the Final Four last year, but the team lost the championship game to Baylor.
Also Thursday, Boise State takes on Memphis; Saint Mary’s plays Indiana and UCLA takes on Akron. Two second round games will be played at the Moda Center on Saturday.
The games will be broadcast on TBS and TNT.
Welcoming March Madness to Portland brings a big economic boost to the city.
The promoter of the games, SportsOregon, says fans and teams are taking up thousands of Portland hotel rooms for the next few days, from downtown to the Lloyd District.