PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The madness has officially begun for the NCAA March Madenss tournament. “It’s a marathon today,” Marblehead resident Phil Padulsky. “We love hoops and it’s the first time we’ve been to a March Madness event.” Fans from the eight teams in the matchups at A mica Mutual Pavilion made their way to Providence for all the fun. “We were hoping it was either here or in Cleveland,” New York resident Kelly Miller said. “We got lucky and now we are here.” The Providence-Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau said 4,600 hotel rooms had been booked in the Providence and Warwick area with a nearly $4 million economic impact for the city. “To see Providence, Rhode Island nationally televised, it really has a sense of community pride,” Senior Director of Sports Sales Jonathan Walker said. “It’s a really cool experience to have it here in your community.” Some fans did not have to travel too far to enjoy the festivities. “I was thinking we would have to somewhere travel far but it was only an hour and a half ride away,” Stoneham resident Eric Rubin said. “We wouldn’t miss it.” Purdue, High Point, Clemson, McNeese State, Kansas, Arkansas, and Rick Pitino’s St. John’s will take on Omaha for the late-night tipoff at 9:45 p.m. Thursday. “The mecca of college basketball is in Providence this weekend,” Arkansas resident John Lytle said. “Once I saw those matchups I knew I would be in Providence this weekend.” Categories: News ...read more read less