Viejas Arena Hosting First Two Rounds of NCAA Tournament

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State University will play host to eight of the top men's collegiate basketball programs at Viejas Arena next weekend for the first and second rounds of the 2022 NCAA championships. Four first-round games will be played on Friday, March 18 followed by two second-round contests on Sunday, March 20.

In the West region, San Diego will host No. 3 seed Texas Tech (25-9) and No. 14 Montana State (27-7) at 10:45 a.m. PT. The Red Raiders went 12-6 in the Big 12 and advanced to their conference championship game where they fell to top-seeded Kansas. The Bobcats, who were the regular season and tournament champs of the Big Sky, will be making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996.  

The winner of that game takes on the winner of No. 6 Alabama (19-13) as they take on the winner of No. 11 Rutgers (18-13) and No. 11 Notre Dame (22-10) who face off on Wednesday in Dayton. That game will tip at 1:15 p.m. PT. The Crimson Tide finished tied for fifth in the talented SEC.

From the South bracket, No. 1 Arizona (31-3) plays at 4:27 p.m. PT against the winner of No. 16 Wright State (21-13) vs. No. 16 Bryant, who will play in Dayton Wednesday. The Wildcats were the Pac-12 regular season and tournament champs and are led by first year head coach Tommy Lloyd. Wright State won the Horizon League championship while Bryant won the Northeast Conference championship.

The winner of that game will advance to take on the winner of No. 8 Seton Hall (21-10) and No. 9 TCU (20-12), who play at 6:57 p.m. PT. The Pirates won their final five regular season games while the Horned Frogs' eight Big 12 wins were the most in program history.

Sunday features second-round action with the two winners from the South and West Regions squaring off against one another in their respective brackets.

General public tickets for all three sessions are sold out but may still be purchased through the NCAA Fan Experience and NCAA Ticket Exchange, which allows fans to sell and buy official tickets online in an NCAA approved, safe and 100% guaranteed environment.

Each participating team will hold a practice open to the public on Thursday March 17 from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Admission is free and exact times for each team will be released soon.

NCAA First Round Matchups – San Diego, Calif. (Viejas Arena)
Friday, March 18 
West Region - Session One
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 Montana State 10:45 a.m. PT
No. 6 Alabama vs. Winner of No. 11 Rutgers/No. 11 Notre Dame 1:15 p.m. PT

South Region - Session Two
No. 1 Arizona vs. Winner of No. 16 Wright State/No. 16 Bryant - 4:27 p.m. PT
No. 8 Seton Hall vs. No. 9 TCU - 6:57 p.m. PT

2022 NCAA Tournament San Diego Site COVID Policies:
All guests age two and older are required to present either proof of a completed COVID-19 vaccine series or a negative COVID-19 test.

If guests choose to enter Viejas Arena by showing a negative COVID-19 test result, please note that SDSU requires COVID-19 tests be taken within one day prior to the event in order to comply with state and county guidelines. Guests age 18 and over will also need to provide a matching photo ID with their proof of vaccination or negative test results. Guests may present either written reports of COVID-19 testing conducted by a laboratory or a photo of a home test.

Guests who will be providing negative test results for entry will need to test within one day of the event and will need two separate tests if attending on both Friday and Sunday, in accordance with requirements from the California Department of Public Health. Individuals testing on Thursday can use their test results for admittance into Open Practice Day and Friday game day.

Masking: Effective March 7 on the SDSU campus, for individuals who are fully vaccinated and boosted (if they are eligible), facial coverings are recommended, but not required. If not fully vaccinated or booster eligible (and not boosted), facial coverings are required.