NCAA Tournament

Know before you go: Tickets, betting odds, parking info for Charlotte NCAA Tournament games

The field is set, and the month of March is ready for madness.

Here’s everything fans need to know ahead of the four NCAA Tournament games in the Spectrum Center in uptown Charlotte.

How to watch all NCAA Tournament games

See the game times and cable channels for each game below. Streamers can watch these contests on Hulu+ Live TV and YouTube TV. You should also be able to access every game on the CBS app on your smart phone after inputting your cable information.

Both “First Four” contests that will feed into Charlotte games are in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday evening: Wagner vs. Howard is slated for 6:40 p.m. on truTV; Colorado State vs. Virginia is at 9:10 p.m. on truTV.

(9) Michigan State vs. (8) Mississippi State: Catch this one on CBS for a 12:15 p.m. Thursday tip.

(1) UNC vs. (16) Wagner/Howard: Watch this one on CBS on 2:45 p.m. Thursday.

(10) Colorado State/Virginia vs. (7) Texas: This clash is set for 6:50 p.m. Thursday on TNT.

(15) Saint Peter’s vs. (2) Tennessee: The nightcap is set for 9:20 p.m. on TNT.

Ticket prices for Charlotte NCAA contests

Below are listings on ticket prices as of Monday morning for the four contests in Charlotte, as seen on StubHub, Vivid Seats and Ticketmaster. A reminder: One ticket purchases admission to two games. For instance, if you purchase tickets to Session 1, that gets you access to MSU vs. Mississippi State AND UNC vs. Wagner/Howard. Same goes for Session 2. Similar practices have been used in other college basketball events held in the Spectrum Center, like the Jumpman Invitational.

Here’s a look at the prices:

  • Session 1 (Thursday afternoon games): Tickets for these contests begin at $66 each before fees, per Stubhub. Similar prices are available on Vivid Seats. Ticketmaster only has resale tickets available, and those are going for $371 before fees.
  • Session 2 (Thursday evening games): Tickets for these games begin at $69 before fees on Stubhub and $61 before fees on Vivid Seats. Ticketmaster resale prices are much higher.
  • All sessions (all four games): Vivid Seats has a package that can get you all four games, starting at $323 each.

Parking info at Spectrum Center

Fans attending the game can purchase parking passes ahead of time on various ticketing websites, including Stubhub. Those prices begin at $62. Fans looking to save, though, can find parking within walking distance to a Light Rail stop and take the Light Rail to the Spectrum Center. Here’s a map of the Light Rail for those inclined to use it. More information can be found on the Spectrum Center website.

Betting info for each game

Sports betting became legal last week in North Carolina, just in time for Charlotte to host March Madness. Here’s a look at the betting lines of each game, per DraftKings Sportsbook, as of Monday morning.

  • (9) Michigan State vs. (8) Mississippi State: DraftKings show Michigan State to be a one-point favorite with the over/under being at 130.
  • (1) UNC vs. (16) Wagner/Howard: Not available until matchup is set. (That said, Howard is a three-point favorite over Wagner with the over/under set for 128 for the Tuesday night contest.)
  • (10) Colorado State/Virginia vs. (7) Texas: Not available until matchup is set. (That said, Colorado State is a 2.5-point favorite over Virginia with the over/under set at 120.5 for the Tuesday night contest.)
  • (15) Saint Peter’s vs. (2) Tennessee: Tennessee is a 21.5-point favorite with the over/under at 130.

Open practices for Charlotte teams on Wednesday

All of the following practices are open to media and the general public in the Spectrum Center on Wednesday, according to the media sheet provided by the NCAA. The times for each teams:

11:00-11:40 a.m.: Michigan State

11:45-12:25 p.m.: Mississippi State

12:30-1:10 p.m.: North Carolina

1:15-1:55 p.m.: Howard/Wagner

2:00-2:40 p.m.: Texas

2:45-3:25 p.m.: Virginia/Colorado State

3:30-4:10 p.m.: Saint Peter’s

4:15-4:55 p.m.: Tennessee

This story was originally published March 18, 2024 at 12:01 PM.

Alex Zietlow
The Charlotte Observer
Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22. Support my work with a digital subscription
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