Business is good at the Sweet Sixteen
Times may be tough, but that isn’t being reflected at the Rupp Arena turnstiles for the Boys Sweet Sixteen this week.
The first round ended Thursday night with a total attendance of 62,897 over four sessions, including a crowd of 21,048 for the final session (Mason County vs. Shelby Valley, Anderson County vs. Elliott County) that was the largest ever for a first-round session. At one point, there were even coaches relegated to the upper deck and trying to horse-trade their way downstairs to better seats.
Single-session attendance records have much to do with the attraction of the participating teams — for instance, Elliott County is wildly popular with its own fan base but also a curiousity for the rest of us — but the total proves continues to maintain its level of popularity — in this format, at this location. Here’s hoping neither of those things changes.
