Alums will be bleeding Final Four
By: Will Reisman
April 3, 2009
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| College hoops action should have bars in The City jumpin’ and jivin.’ (Getty Images) |
SAN FRANCISCO — March may be gone, but the madness of the NCAA basketball tournament continues, and the local alumni from the four schools still in the championship hunt will stream into San Francisco bars this weekend to watch the action.
Eager fans of North Carolina, Villanova, Michigan State and UConn all have plans to congregate together in San Francisco to root for their teams, despite being thousands of miles from their home campuses.
For North Carolina fans, the expanse of the continental U.S. is not enough to keep them from sporting their favorite hometown accessories, according to Ellen Eason, who’s in charge of alumni relations for the 3,000 former Tar Heels who live in the Bay Area.
Eason and the Heels’ clan had about a hundred blue plastic cups delivered from their favorite bar in Chapel Hill so they could gulp beer in style for their alumni viewing party at Danny Coyle’s on Haight Street.
“We have these huge blue cups that we get to fill up for $3.50 a beer at the bar,” said Eason, who expects at least a hundred alumni to attend.
The top-seeded Tar Heels will face third-seeded Villanova at 5:45 p.m. Saturday.
Villanova fans will try to counter the Tar Heel’s back-home charms with two separate gatherings on Lombard Street. Wildcat backers are expected to flow into Marina bars Black Magic and Jones Restaurant, according to the school’s alumni department.
Lauren Williams, who helps organize get-togethers for Villanova grads in the Bay Area, said Wildcat fans have been flocking to Black Magic lounge for years because the establishment’s owners have strong ties to the Philadelphia school.
UConn fans are scheduled to gather at the bar bearing their likeness, the Connecticut Yankee, on Saturday afternoon for the team’s game against Midwest power Michigan State at 3 p.m.
About 35 Husky fans and alumni showed up at the bar for the team’s last contest, and the same number, if not more, are expected to gather to watch the game Saturday, according to staff members at the Potrero Hill establishment.
Spartans fans are encouraged to meet at Pete’s Tavern at 128 King St., according to the school’s department of alumni relations. The SoMa sports bar hosted hordes of Michigan State alums Sunday for the team’s victory against Louisville.
Where to watch the action
Michigan State vs. UConn
3 p.m. Saturday
If you’re a Michigan State fan: Pete’s Tavern, 128 King St.
If you’re a UConn fan:Connecticut Yankee, 100 Connecticut St.
Villanova vs. North Carolina
5:45 p.m. Saturday
If you’re a Villanova fan: Black Magic, 1400 Lombard St.
If you’re a North Carolina fan: Danny Coyle’s, 668 Haight St.
