SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Outside MGM Springfield, where college hoops fans all across western Mass. are preparing for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The first round of the NCAA Tournament tipped off on Thursday — and if you’re looking for a place to watch, MGM Springfield is expecting a packed house.

Inside MGM Springfield where tickets have been punched, selection Sunday has come and gone, and although our beloved UMass Minutemen will not be participating, there’s still plenty of excitement here in western mass for the start of the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

They prepared for three weeks of college hoops, crowds — and plenty of bets. The first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament make up one of the busiest sports betting weekends of the year. We’re talking about 48 games in the matter of 4 days. That’s enough to keep any sportsbook busy.

“Throughout the tournament, we are all hands on deck. We’ve got, throughout the property, every screen is focused on the games, and we know that it is going to be so busy from start to finish, and we’re ready for it,” said Beth Ward, the Public Affairs Director at MGM Springfield.

With so many games taking place back-to-back it wouldn’t be a stretch to confuse this for a hoops fan’s paradise.

“We are stoked. I’ve got a group of some of my best friends from high school and college, and we’re ready to watch basketball all day long,” said UConn fan Daniel Robets, as anyone who’s familiar knows, you can’t just make one bracket this time of year, “I made five, I got UConn winning in most brackets. I have them playing against Michigan, and they’re taking the national title this year.”

But for those who may not be as big of a college hoops fan as Daniel – MGM has got you covered with other sources of entertainment, “this weekend, we’ll have ROAR, our comedy club going on in our armory. Whether you go to Commonwealth tonight, for example. We’ve got a Latin night going on in Commonwealth with some dance lessons happening also,” said Andres Gomez, MGM Springfield’s Executive Director of Hospitality.

For folks who are bigger fans of comfort food than the teams, they even have a bracket for you, “we actually run this program, which is our, like, burger bracket. So, we get our entire kitchen staff to do specials. And we have 16 different burgers and sandwiches that we’ll be running for the next two weeks competing against each other as specials to see what the ultimate winner that will go on the menu will be,” Gomez said.

No matter who comes out on top of the three weeklong tournament, we think we can all agree that there’s nothing better than cheering on your alma mater, partaking in some friendly trash talk with your buddies, and enjoying your favorite comfort foods, so let the madness begin.

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