Tallahassee buzzing with March Madness

March 27, 2019

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The Florida State Seminoles were preparing for the Sweet 16 in California on Tuesday. Back home in Tallahassee, fans were getting ready to watch.

"I predicted an upset with Gonzaga," said FSU student Peter Hayes. "I think they have it in them."

As Nole Nation gears up for the big showdown, the very first Sweet 16 t-shirts hit the racks.

"You know a lot of fans are behind the team right now, so we definitely see the advantages of it," said Stanley Hill, who manages the Alumni Hall store off of Thomasville Road.

Employees at the store arrived to several online orders to fulfill when they opened in morning and rushed to unpack the clothing, tag them and get them ready to go.

Meanwhile, in the Collegetown area, where many television screens were already showing basketball, students were making plans for Thursday's tip off.

"We're probably gonna get a bunch of people to our house," said student Carter Matthews.

"I think we have a chance to go further than last year," said student Jared Grady.

"I will probably meet up with the guys and watch some of the games," said Viktor Lyusi, a second-year student in the law program.

The team boarded a plane Tuesday morning to head to Anaheim in Southern California. The players were accompanied by their own cheering squad,

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"A lot of other schools have home court advantage, but when we're there playing the War Chant, playing Seminole Uprising, it makes them feel like, we're there for you, we're here," said drum major Katie Olney.

The Noles will take on Gonzaga on Thursday at 7:09 pm. The game can be viewed on WCTV.