Behind the Bids: How Buffalo Wins in March

Every March, college basketball commands national attention. In Buffalo, it also reveals something less visible but just as important: the preparation, partnerships and personal care that shape championship events long before the first game begins.

This year, Buffalo will host the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Small College Basketball National Championships and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship first and second rounds. While the scale of the events differs, the philosophy of the Buffalo Sports Commission remains the same: Every team, every athlete and every visitor is treated like a VIP.

Small colleges, major impact

The USCAA national championships bring hundreds of student-athletes, coaches and administrators to Erie County, representing 32 small colleges from across the country. The tournament generates an estimated $2.1 million in economic impact while driving hotel demand during March’s shoulder season.

For the Buffalo Sports Commission, the numbers tell only part of the story.

“We always report on room nights and economic impact, and those are incredibly important,” said James Adler, director sports sales for the Buffalo Sports Commission, a division of Visit Buffalo. “But the real question we ask ourselves is, ‘What are we doing when they’re here?’”

That question shapes a hands-on approach to the visitor and athlete experience. Sports Commission staff members coordinate logistics, unload trailers, arrange for venues and respond to last-minute needs. 

“If something goes wrong, teams know we’re there,” Adler said. 

The tournament that started with a call

Buffalo’s partnership with the USCAA began with persistence.

Early in his work, Adler identified a USCAA request for proposals and made a decision that would shape Buffalo’s relationship with the organization: He reached out.

“Our relationship with the USCAA started with a cold call,” Adler said. “We believed Buffalo was the right fit, so we simply picked up the phone.”

That first outreach eventually led to site visits, negotiations and a successful bid. What started as an introduction evolved into a long-term partnership, with Buffalo now serving as a repeat host city.

It’s a reminder that major events don’t happen by accident. They are built through relationships, preparation and the willingness to make the first move.

March Basketball, Buffalo style

On a national scale, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship delivers even broader reach, drawing thousands of fans and generating more than $7.6 million in economic impact for the region.

“With the NCAA Tournament, our biggest role is taking care of the visitors,” Adler said. “Many of them are experiencing Buffalo for the first time.”

From lodging coordination for the eight teams attending to hosting partner preparedness sessions, performing random acts of kindness and training a team of volunteers, the focus of the Sports Commission is on hospitality that reflects the community’s warmth and energy.

Years in the making

People rarely see the planning that goes into the tournaments and experience of athletes, sports staff and fans.

“Events like these are years in the making,” Adler said. “You celebrate winning the bid, then the real work begins.”

Preparations span venue agreements, hotel contracts, transportation logistics and visitor experience planning. The effort begins years before tipoff. Even as this year’s tournaments unfold, future opportunities are now in motion.

“You deliver the event, you take a breath, and then you’re thinking about what’s next,” Adler said. “That mindset never stops.”

In Buffalo, the final buzzer is never the end of the story.