March Madness Coming to Raleigh, NC

The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds return to Raleigh, March 17 and 19.

Limited tickets for the event are available here.

The event will feature six total games at PNC Arena, plus a Hoops and Hops fan festival outside the arena before and between sessions on both Thurs. and Sat., which will include a large outdoor TV, live music, food trucks, inflatables and a food and beverage tent with more TVs.

North Carolina State University is the official tournament host, with support from GRSA. This will mark the fourth time in a 13-year span that PNC Arena has hosted NCAA Men's Basketball Championship games.

Also on the calendar to kick off 2016: All-Star Cheer and Dance Challenge takes over the Raleigh Convention Center, Jan. 30-31; the NCYSA Soccer Symposium will be held Jan. 30-31 at the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown; Krispy Kreme Challenge (five miles, 12 donuts, one hour!) is Feb. 6; the N.C. High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Swimming and Diving Championships are Feb. 10-13 at Triangle Aquatic Center and Pullen Aquatic Center; Mar. 4-6 marks the return of the USA Baseball-Irish Classic, featuring six collegiate teams for an early season tournament at the USA Baseball National Training Complex; the Shaw Softball Challenge hits the Walnut Creek Softball Complex, Mar. 4-6; Tobacco Road Marathon and Half Marathon is Mar. 13; more baseball at USA Baseball National Training Complex with the NCAA DII Preseason Invite, Mar. 17-22, and the USA Baseball National High School Invitational, Mar. 24-27; the Butterfly Cary Cup Championship (table tennis) runs Mar. 31-Apr. 3 at Triangle Table Tennis Center; tennis season heats up with the USTA Tennis on Campus National Championship, Apr. 7-9, and the ACC Tennis Championships, Apr. 20-24, both at Cary Tennis Park; and Deep South Classic returns to the Raleigh Convention Center with 400 girls' basketball teams playing on 20 courts. For a complete calendar of events, see the website.