CVB communications director Hannah Winnaught said the venue is different but many aspects of the plan are similar to the recent NCAA women’s basketball regional held in Morgantown.
“It feels like we just hit a high with March Madness and hosting NCAA women’s basketball,” Winnaut said Thursday on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.” “It’s the same setup we were having a few months ago, and honestly, we wouldn’t be able to do any of this without coming together as a community.”
Tickets for the games are sold out by the weekend, but he said there are some reputable secondary ticket brokers online that can help fans. There’s no specific figure for the crowd expected to come to Granville, but Winnaut said it’s likely to be a few thousand people.
“It looks like the ballpark will be packed all weekend long,” Vinot said. “So, the ballpark holds 2,500 people plus standing room, so if we have it full all weekend, we’ll have a couple thousand people in the field.”
West Virginia plays Binghamton Friday at 5 p.m. Wake Forest and Kentucky battle it out Friday afternoon at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
Residents are advised to be prepared for additional traffic in the Granville area, and Emmett Drive, a popular shortcut, will be closed due to slick conditions. All land routes in and around the Granville area are expected to be busier than usual, causing many residents to alter their weekend routines.
“They may stop somewhere before the game, and they may stop after the game — hopefully they’ll stop at some places,” Winnott said. “In general, it will be a little more crowded, so take your time getting a spot.”
Unlike the most recent NCAA event, local hotels are able to handle all four teams. During the NCAA basketball regional, one of the teams and an unknown number of fans were forced to remain outside the arena.
“Fortunately, this time we were able to host all the teams in Monongalia County, so we’re thrilled to be able to do that,” Winnaut said. “It doesn’t mean there will be some fans who have to stay elsewhere, but we were actually able to get all the teams into hotels in Mon County, which is huge for us.”
Winnaut said businesses and their employees, as well as residents, will be big factors in the impact fans take home at the conclusion of the game.
“We are very fortunate to be able to host something like this,” Vinot said. “A lot of times, sports are people’s first introduction to West Virginia.”
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