East Regional is big business for Syracuse

Teams hit the floor Thursday for practice

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The 2015 NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament East Regional, which starts Friday night at the Carrier Dome and wraps up Sunday, will provide an estimated total economic impact of $7.2 million on the Syracuse area. That’s according to Visit Syracuse.

The total includes visitors and local fans spending money throughout the community on lodging, attractions, food, drinks, and other travel-related costs.

The projected economic boost to the area is similar to 2010 and 2005, the last two times that Syracuse hosted the East Regional.

The four basketball teams in this year’s regional (NC State, Louisville, Michigan State, and Oklahoma) held public practices at the Carrier Dome Thursday afternoon, attracting a sprinkling of fans throughout the four-hour period.

The Dome was selling concessions.

The Business Journal News Network caught up with some fans in attendance.

Mike Dunham, a Syracuse Orange basketball fan and season ticket holder, brought his three sons to check out some of the practice action.

When asked why they came, Dunham said, “Because it’s what I did when I was a kid. It’s a good way to spend a rainy afternoon watching real basketball practices.”

He estimated there were about 350 people in the stands when we spoke during the Louisville practice, the third one of the day.

A lot more people will be in the Dome when the actual games start Friday night:

Game 1:  7:37 p.m. — Louisville vs. NC State

Game 2: 10:07 p.m. — Oklahoma vs. Michigan State

In the meantime, check out some photos below from Thursday’s practice sessions involving the Louisville Cardinals and Oklahoma Sooners.

Contact Rombel at arombel@cnybj.com