Few events capture the hearts of sports fans more than March Madness. I have written extensively about the NCAA Tournament over the years, but until 2024, I had never gotten the chance to attend any March Madness games in person, let alone see the school I attend participate. That all changed when Samford men’s basketball won the SoCon Tournament and clinched their spot in the Big Dance.
After the Bulldogs were placed in Salt Lake City against Kansas, I packed my bags and was ready to attend the mecca of college basketball. On the plane, so many questions raced through my head: “Can Samford actually beat Kansas?” “How long will my stay in Salt Lake Ciy be?” “What soft drink should I get on the flight?” After downing a ginger ale and some generic airplane cookies, I landed in Salt Lake City and rushed to the Delta Center to witness the day’s first game. Eight teams were placed in SLC, and the games were as follows: Arizona vs. Long Beach State, Dayton vs. Nevada, Gonzaga vs. McNeese, and Kansas vs. Samford. The first game was a snoozer. Arizona handled Long Beach State completely, but I was more excited about what happened—the press conference. I had never done it before, and to say I was intimidated was an understatement. Here I was, a doey-eyed senior in college, surrounded by seasoned vets in the journalism world. The names weren’t famous, but the men and women who surrounded me in the press conference area knew exactly what they were doing. I was just dipping my toes into the journalism world, and these guys were fully submerged. As Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd approached the desk, I knew that this was it. This is what I had been building to for the better part of four years as a sports journalist. Without hesitation, I raised my hand and asked my first question. Immediately, a sigh of relief. The barrier had been broken; there was no going back. I was no longer an aspiring sports journalist; I was just one of the guys.
From there, a cycle began at Salt Lake City. I would hop from games to press conferences and back daily. The one game that stuck out the most was obviously the Kansas-Samford game. It was hard to restrain emotion watching the team I had covered for the better part of four years nearly come back and yet fall short partially due to a controversial foul call. The wild swing of emotions, the players leaving it all on the court, the fans living and dying with every play. It was March encapsulated into one game, and it was beautiful to witness.
From interviewing Mark Few to (inadvertently) making Rylan Jones cry with a question at a press conference, my time in Salt Lake City was a unique, enriching experience. I’m not calling it “once-in-a-lifetime” though. Odds are, I’ll be back at the Big Dance.
Sports Editor
