It’s that time of the year again – March Madness! While I love the hype and pouring my hard earned money into bets for my non-strategically filled out bracket, I honestly have no idea what’s going on 80% of the time.
On that note, I do have great memories surrounding March Madness. This time of year is very nostalgic for me as it takes me back to my glory days at Florida Gulf Coast University. That’s right, the famous 2013 bracket buster also known as the only 15-seed to ever make it to the Sweet Sixteen.
Every university has its perks, but sports were never one of them at FGCU. Our dorms may be on the beach, but we don’t have a football team, which is kind of a big thing for someone who loves to tailgate. Our 2013 run in March Madness transformed our school overnight and it was one of my most prominent highlights from college.
To tell you a little bit about my March Madness experience, I was a sophomore living on campus the night FGCU secured a spot in the Sweet Sixteen when hundreds of students fled outside of their dorms to celebrate and be interviewed by the local media on-scene. Students on top of cars, crowds cheering – a sight I will never forget.
That night I spontaneously made plans with my best friends to DRIVE to Texas for the big game. We decided to take a charter bus with other FGCU students, in hindsight probably the slowest mode of transportation we could have decided on. After a 24-hour bus ride we arrived in Texas to cheer on our Eagles.
Not only did I get to visit Texas for the first time, I got to see people from all over the country wearing FGCU gear as we took on our competition – UF. Although ultimately the Gators put an end to our March Madness success (don’t worry Gator fans, I’ve gotten over it), it was an event that will stick with me forever.
Thinking back now on a PR standpoint – talk about GOALS. Feature articles about FGCU appeared ESPN, USA Today and various national and local outlets. Everyone across the country knew our name and now when I tell people where I earned my degree they actually know where I’m talking about.
Unfortunately we didn’t make it to March Madness this year, but I still had to show my Fort Myers alma mater some love. In the meantime, you can find me frequently refreshing my ESPN bracket with regret.
Good luck to all the teams battling to take home the W in 2018 and here’s to the underdog!
