March Madness in Charlotte: First and second round game tickets, parking, dining and merch
All the March craziness will soon take over Charlotte as the University of North Carolina at Charlotte will host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament Division I Men’s Basketball Championship which will be held at the Spectrum Center.
Here's a tournament guide featuring tournament details, buying tickets and merch, directions, parking, food options and a lot more.
All information provided below is from the Spectrum Center.
When is it?
The first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament Division I Men’s Basketball Championship will be held March 21 and 23 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
Teams playing in Charlotte
- No. 1 UNC will take on No. 16 Howard/Wagner winner on Thursday at 2:45 p.m. in Charlotte at the Spectrum Center as part of the West Region
- No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Michigan State on Thursday in Charlotte.
- No. 7 Texas will take on No. 10 Virginia/Colorado State winner on Thursday in Charlotte.
- No. 2 Tennessee will take on No. 15 Saint Peter's in Charlotte also on Thursday.
Tickets
Make sure to select the Charlotte area when viewing tickets at the links below.
TICKETMASTER | SEATGEEK | VIVID SEATS | STUBHUB |
There are also several different fan experience ticket packages available and include the following:
- NCAA Fan Experience - $186.00 option
- NCAA Fan Experience - $517.50 option
- All-Access Experience - $866.50 option
Find out more about the different fan experience ticket packages available here.
Where is it located?
Spectrum Center is located at 333 E. Trade Street in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina.
Parking
Nearly 30,000 off-street parking spaces are located within a 15-minute walking distance of Spectrum Center.
Using the website spectrumcenter.parkmobile.io, you can easily find and reserve parking at seven different lots around the venue. Users can filter the available parking lots for specific needs, including tailgating, room for oversized vehicles, and more, according to the Spectrum Center.
Park and Ride Lots
Park at one of the seven park-and-ride lots and take the Lynx train to the Trade Street Station at Spectrum Center.
Directions to Spectrum Center
I-85 from the South
- Exit at Billy Graham Parkway, take Billy Graham Parkway to I-77 North, exit at either I-277 North or Trade Street.
I-85 from the North
- Exit at the I-77 exit at either John Belk Freeway (I-277) or Trade Street.
I-77 from the South
- Exit at either John Belk Freeway (I-277) or Trade Street.
I-77 from the North
- Exit at either Brookshire Freeway (I-277 East), 5th Street, Trade Street or John Belk Freeway (I-277).
Traffic
Make sure you check the latest traffic conditions and alerts ahead of each day and event and especially on game day!
Early Arrival
Spectrum Center recommends arriving to the arena early to avoid congestion and ensure you have plenty of time to enter the arena and reach your seat before tipoff. They recommend fans arrive 45-60 minutes before the game.
Bag Policy
Spectrum Center has a no-bag policy, though exceptions will be made for purses smaller than 10"X10"X4". They recommend not bringing a bag/purse as they will be required to go through an x-ray machine prior to entering, which leads to longer wait times.
Cashless
Spectrum Center is cashless at all concession stands and retail locations. Reverse ATMs are located throughout the arena to convert cash to cards.
Concourse Dining
There are a number of dining options at the Spectrum Center.
Here's a look at dining options on the lower level:
- Carolina Moonshine Bar-B-Que 101
- Corona Light Cart 102
- Dippin' Dots 104
- Mich Ultra 104
- Stinger Lemonade Bar 104
- Center City Cart 106
- Center City Grill 106
- BCBS Home Court Bar 106
- Popcorn Buckets 107
- Domino’s Pizza 108
- NoDa Cantina 108
- Sierra Nevada 108
- Trade Street Pour House Bar 109
- Noda/Triple C/Catawba 110
- Fourth Ward Marketplace 111
- Twisted Loop 113
- Technical Fowl 114
- Corona Light Cart 114
- Dippin' Dots 115
- Goose Island Carvery Cart 115
- Trade Street Pour House Bar 116
- Bud Light Cart 116
- The Hive 116
Here are some dining options on the upper level:
- Jack Daniel's Bar 201
- Craft Beer Garden 202
- Buzzed Fisherman 203
- Corona Light Cart 203
- Domino’s 203
- JJ’s Red Hots 203
- Smoke'n Pour Cart 206
- Crunch Time Grill 208
- Carolina Moonshine Bar-B-Que 210
- Budweiser Cart/Goose Island Cart 210
- The Draft 214
- Black Top 216
- Rock the Rooftop Bar 217
- Noda Cantina 218
- Bud Light Cart 220
- Sweets 222
- Budweiser Cart 225
- Crunch Time Grill 225
- Mich Ultra Cart 228
- Dippin' Dots 230
There are also several arena restaurants, find out more here.
Find out other dining options here.
Game Day Merch
When it comes to representing the best teams, you gotta rep the best! Here's where you can buy some new threads for game day.
Click on the links below to find merch to buy for your team.
FANATICS | RALLY HOUSE | DICK'S SPORTING GOODS
Weather
When it comes to the forecast and the weather on game day, WXII 12 has got you covered!
Check it out: Live Radar | Hourly Forecast | Extended 10 Day Forecast | Skycams
Sports
Get the latest tournament action and sports news, here!
Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.