Everything You Need to Know About March Madness in Denver
There is plenty to do in the city if you’re taking a road trip or jumping on a plane to experience March Madness in Denver.
Tucked at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Denver is world renowned for its outdoor activities and beautiful scenery,. But over the last 25 years, its pro and college sports teams have made Denver into one of the country’s top destinations for indoor adventure, as well. While Denver is not specifically known for its college basketball history, it does have a tradition of hosting the NCAA tournament and its fans. This March 20-23, The Mile High City is hosting the NCAA tournament first and second rounds for the sixth time. It also famously hosted the 1990 Final Four at McNichols Arena when a memorable UNLV Runnin’ Rebels team beat Duke in the championship game. Ball Arena opened in 1999 and was originally known as the Pepsi Center.
There is plenty to do in and around the Denver area if you’re taking a road trip or jumping on a plane to see your alma mater or favorite team in the NCAA tournament. Ball Arena’s proximity to downtown Denver makes it a great place to visit for a few days; here we’ve got your guide to March Madness in Denver.
How do I get tickets?
There are three sessions of games hosted at Ball Arena with two sessions being hosted on Thursday afternoon/evening and one double header session on Saturday. The NCAA's official ticketing site, Ticketmaster, provides a safe and reliable way to purchase tickets, but my suggestion is to buy up tickets from fans heading out of town after Thursday’s games. Many dejected fans of losing teams will unload tickets on secondary sites like StubHub and SeatGeek to try to recoup some of the cost of the loss. My recommendation is to check Ticketmaster as you’re planning your trip to Denver so you know the market prices (and thus your discount!) and to purchase your tickets on Thursday night after the first set of games. If your team plays Thursday, use this trick yourself to recoup some cash.
The downside of hosting an NCAA tournament at Ball Arena (home to the Nuggets and the NHL’s Avalanche) is that it’s not ideal for 19,000 people watching college basketball. I’d strongly suggest splurging on a lower bowl seat. The arena is far too large and the upstairs (200) sections don’t offer great views. My favorite lower bowl sections are 124 or 126, so you’re courtside with the best sight lines.
How should I get there?
Denver International Airport or DIA is the main airport for getting to and from Denver. It’s a hub for United, Frontier and Southwest Airlines so there are plenty of direct flight options for getting here no matter where you live. Be warned, though—the airport is about 25 miles from downtown Denver and rideshares can surge during peak hours so if you plan on going without a rental car, be prepared. My suggestion is to avoid arriving during rush hour and to forego the rental car. The rideshare pickup is located near island 5 in both terminals, a short walk from baggage claim.
If you happen to be feeling adventurous and have extra time, Amtrak also goes through downtown Denver and the mountain views in and out of town are spectacular.
How do I get around?
Denver is a very easy city to navigate without a rental car. While Denver’s airport may as well be in Kansas (check out this chart that shows how it stacks up to other world cities) you can take the light rail into town on the Airplane Train. From there it’s an easy rideshare or light rail to your lodging. Ball Arena isn’t technically in downtown Denver but it's close enough (roughly 2 miles away) so getting there is pretty easy whether you want to rent a car, use rideshares or take public transportation to the games.
Denver’s light rail system has a stop directly at Ball Arena so that’s my main recommendation. Purchasing a round trip ticket is encouraged as the lines to purchase tickets after events can be quite long. You can expect even more convenience on this long weekend, too - during the 2023 NCAA tournament, the RTD offered an express route between Union Station downtown and Ball Arena. There should be no issues grabbing a rideshare once games end; the designated rideshare lot is located near the intersection of 5th and Walnut streets.
What should I know about the venue?
In general, you won’t experience any hiccups getting into the building. Ball Arena is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and hosts more than 250 events yearly so they’re battle tested. There are two large entrances on each side of the arena that get fans into the arena quickly. I recommend heading into the arena at least 30 minutes before scheduled tip-off and you should have no issues.
If you’re looking for something unique, the basketball and hockey sculpture hanging in the grand atrium when you enter the arena is worth making sure you see. It features hockey and basketball players in motion, is depicted at 1.5x scale, weighs a ton, and costs $75,000 to produce. The grand atrium entrance is located near 9th and Chopper Circle.
Similar to other first and second round host cities, Ball is customized for NBA (Nuggets) and NHL (Avalanche) games but the arena still gets loud and is a great place to watch March Madness. Avalanche public address announcer Alan Roach is one of the best in the business and you’ll probably recognize his voice from NFL national events throughout the years including serving as PA for 17 Super Bowls.
Whatever your dietary restrictions, Ball Arena gives plenty of unique concession items; this menu on the arena website gives every vegetarian, vegan, nut friendly, dairy friendly and gluten friendly option. I also recommend trying a few local favorites like the apple pie funnel cake fries, a delightful dessert in the shape of french fries (these can be found in the PointsBet lounge). If you’re a big meat eater, try the elk brat, an elk meat sausage you can find in sections 106 and 306. And for the adventurous among us, try a Rocky Mountain oyster po boy (section 330), a sandwich filled with calf testicle meat.
Ball Arena also has an amusement/water park, Elitch Gardens, just across the train tracks which makes it one of the more unique venues in North America—unfortunately it doesn’t open until April.
Basketball, brackets, and betting
The games at Ball Arena are interesting in that they do not feature a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. No. 3 Wisconsin is the highest seed playing in Denver and will face No. 14 Montana; they’re favored by a hefty 17.5 points. One thing to note is that Montana’s campus is closer to Denver so you can expect a decent crowd cheering for the Grizzlies.
No. 6-seed BYU is the closest team to the Denver area that will be playing at Ball Arena. The Cougars, led by forward Richie Saunders averaging 16 points per game, take on No. 11-seed VCU and are only a 2.5-point favorite.
If you’re looking for your classic No. 12 upsetting a No. 5, Denver has that for you. Michigan is the No. 5-seed in the South regional and will face No. 12 UC San Diego. The Tritons are making their first appearance in the NCAA Division I tournament after moving from Division II in 2020. The Wolverines are only favored by 3.5 points and will be picked to be upset in plenty of bracket pools this year.
Texas A&M takes on Yale in the fourth game on Thursday at Ball Arena. The Aggies are a guard-heavy team with Wade Taylor IV and Zhuric Phelps leading the team in scoring. Of course, Yale has no athletes on scholarship as it represents the Ivy League.
The two biggest schools in the state - the Colorado Buffaloes and Colorado State Rams—haven’t made it to the Sweet 16 since 1969 when both teams made it that year. Colorado State is the only team from Colorado to qualify for the NCAA Tournament this year, but it will be playing in Seattle as a No. 12 seed.
Other places to eat (and watch)
Machete Tequila and Tacos is a must-stop in Denver; there are three locations, one of which is a ten minute walk to the arena. They have TVs for your insatiable sports appetite and some of the best Mexico City-inspired fare you’ll have in the west. Try the al pastor tacos, pair it with one of their many tequilas, and throw in a Mexican beer while you’re at it. For extra credit, order the El Perro del Machete, basically your standard post-game bacon-wrapped hot dog from a street cart, but made even better topped with beans, lard and pico de gallo.
The 99ers is a women’s-focused sports bar that honors the 1999 United States women’s national soccer team that won the World Cup. It’s Denver’s first-ever women’s athletics-focused sports bar so if you’re in the mood to watch the women’s tournament (which begins Friday), this is your spot. Pro tip: Read the secret menu ahead of time and feel like a true Coloradoan while you order.
Since you’re nearby, try the 1UpArcade Bar, a multi-location bar full of classic arcade games, rowdy patrons and great food and drink service. If you’re indulging, try the frogger if you’re into spiced rum and the fried pickle chips if you’re into dipping anything into ranch sauce.
Another great sports bar option that’s right next to the arena is Brooklyn’s. My go-to order is the buffalo chicken sandwich with blue cheese on top coupled with one of the bar’s many excellent mules; try the macho nachos to share.
In the morning, stop by Larimer Square, which is where Denver was founded in the early 19th century. It’s now a mix of new and old with restaurants that have outdoor patio areas that are perfect during the summer. In March, this place will be packed with NCAA tournament fans from every school and is a great starting point for breakfast at Port Side, where you should order The Duke, a pulled pork breakfast sandwich you’ll be thinking about for weeks.
Final tips
The weather in Denver in March can be a rollercoaster and full of wicked turns. It’s not uncommon to see a winter snow storm immediately followed by a 75 degree sunny afternoon. Definitely pack for the chance of some cooler weather no matter what the forecast says and know that there’s a sneaky, biting wind lingers during late Winter and early Spring.