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SEC tournament at Amalie means big revenue for Tampa

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Published  March 9, 2022 6:03am EST
Tampa
FOX 13 News

Amalie transforms for SEC Tourney

The ice is melted and the hardwood is down on the floor at Amalie Arena. College basketball fans are headed to Tampa Bay to watch their favorite teams play in the SEC Tournament, which starts Wednesday.

TAMPA, Fla. - Wednesday kicks off the 2022 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Amalie Arena in Tampa, with final preparations underway before #12 Missouri takes on #13 Ole Miss at 6 p.m. That game will be followed at around 8 p.m. by #11 Vanderbilt hosting #14 Georgia.

Tourism insiders are anticipating a big impact for the local economy, with at least 20,000 hotel rooms rented.

Amalie Arena will be stacked with a Fan Zone and more as organizers prepare for college basketball games all through the weekend. FOX 13 went inside the arena on Monday as crews installed the SEC court over the ice.

All 14 SEC teams will compete in the event including the University of Florida. Alabama is the defending champion, beating LSU in the 2021 title game.

The first sessions on Thursday and Friday will begin at noon ET, which is one hour earlier than past tournaments. The start times for the first semifinal on Saturday and the SEC Tournament Championship game on Sunday will be 1:00 p.m. ET.

Wednesday, March 9
Game 1: No. 12 Missouri vs. No. 13 Ole Miss | 6 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 2: No. 11 Vanderbilt vs. No. 14 Georgia | 8 p.m. | SEC Network

Thursday, March 10
Game 3: No. 8 Texas A&M vs. No. 9 Florida | 12 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 4: No. 5 LSU vs. Game 1 winner | 2 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 5: No. 7 South Carolina vs. No. 10 Mississippi State | 6 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 6: No. 6 Alabama vs. Game 2 winner | 8 p.m. | SEC Network

Friday, March 11
Game 7: No. 1 Auburn vs. Game 3 winner | 12 p.m. | ESPN
Game 8: No. 4 Arkansas vs. Game 4 winner | 2 p.m. | ESPN
Game 9: No. 2 Tennessee vs. Game 5 winner | 6 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 10: No. 3 Kentucky vs. Game 6 winner | 8 p.m. | SEC Network

Saturday, March 12
Game 11: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner | 1 p.m. | ESPN
Game 12: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner | 3 p.m. | ESPN

Sunday, March 13
Game 13: Championship game | 1 p.m. | ESPN

SEC FanFare, the official fan event for the SEC tournament, will be located at Amalie Arena's Thunder Alley. The event is a full interactive experience featuring food, drinks, interactives, live entertainment and much more.

The event is free to the public. SEC FanFare is open Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. through 8 p.m., Saturday 10:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Sunday 10:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.