West Virginia University is headed to the NCAA Tournament in sunny Tampa, Fla., and fellow Mountaineers are encouraged to join the WVU Alumni Association and Mountaineer Athletic Club for a “Mountaineer Meet and Greet” prior to WVU’s opening tournament game.

The official WVU pregame event will be held at Splitsville Luxury Lanes & Dinner Lounge (615 Channelside Dr., Channelside Bay Plaza) located just a few short blocks from St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa.

The Meet and Greet, which will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, March 17, is free and open to the public. Fans of all ages can enjoy WVU camaraderie, food/drink concessions, free bowling/billiards (limited availability from 10-11:30 a.m.), WVU highlight videos, a complementary gold and blue giveaway (limited number available), and appearances by the WVU Pep Band, cheerleaders and Mountaineer mascot. A parking garage is conveniently located across the street from Splitsville.

“It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to join alumni and friends in the Tampa area as we cheer on WVU. We have an outstanding contingency of loyal alumni and fans in the area, and many others will travel from all over the country to support Coach Huggins and his team. We hope to paint Tampa gold and blue as we join together as Mountaineers,” said Steve Douglas, president and CEO, WVU Alumni Association.

Fans arriving early to the Tampa area may also stop by Beef ‘O’ Brady’s (2819 S. MacDill Ave.), home of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the WVU Alumni Association, for an informal “Gold & Blue Gathering” on the evening of Wednesday, March 16. Beef’s will be showing the first four NCAA Tournament games and WVU highlight videos on its 30 televisions. Fans will also have an opportunity to win unique gold and blue prizes by participating in Mountaineer Jeopardy. Individuals wearing their best Mountaineer attire that sing along with “Take Me Home, Country Roads” will be rewarded with food and beverage discounts. The gathering is free and open to the public. On street parking is available on MacDill Ave. and side streets adjacent to Beef’s.

If you aren’t headed to the game, be sure to check out one of the many game watches that will be taking place throughout the country at: http://calendar.wvu.edu/alumni/. Fans in the Tampa area without tickets are invited to join members of the Tampa Bay Chapter at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s to watch the game. Alumni and friends may also leave a message for the team, download pictures/wallpaper and other features via WVU’s tournament page.

Tipoff for the game is set for 12:15 p.m. (March 17) and will be televised on CBS.

For more information about the WVU Alumni Association, visit http://alumni.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

tec/03/15/11

CONTACT: Tara Curtis, WVU Alumni Association
304-293-0972; tecurtis@mail.wvu.edu

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.