OKLAHOMA CITY — Central Oklahoma may not be the center of the college basketball universe, but it could appear to be in coming days when both the NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments kick off in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.
First-round men’s games were to begin Thursday at the Ford Center in downtown Oklahoma City, with second-round games scheduled for Saturday.
Twenty miles south in Norman, the University of Oklahoma will host a pair of first-round women’s games Sunday, with the winners meeting Tuesday.
“It’s a good problem to have in a metro,” said Tim Brassfield, the executive director of Oklahoma City’s All Sports Association, which is helping organize the men’s event.
Men’s tournament sites are selected years before the event, Brassfield said, and Oklahoma City knew in 2007 it would host this year. The women’s tournament uses campus sites and follows a different selection process, and OU’s bid to host was approved last year.
The men’s tournament being in Oklahoma City “wasn’t a factor at all” in OU’s decision to bid for the women’s event, athletic department spokesman Kenny Mossman said.
“When you bid on those, you have two things in mind,” Mossman said. “That’s a fan interest in that sport and ... competitive advantage. You’re always looking to give an opportunity for your teams to play on the home court.”
“I would think it’s a good thing,” Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said. “There will be more people coming in from out of town.”
