College basketball will descend on Arlington this weekend as the NCAA Basketball Tournament hits Cowboys Stadium bringing with it fans from three states as well as legions of local and national March Madness followers.

The Division I Men's Basketball South Regional Championships, which will be played on Friday and Sunday, will feature Kansas, Michigan, Florida and Florida Gulf Coast the first No. 15 seed ever to reach the Sweet 16.

As all eyes from the Big Dance focus on Arlington, local officials say it's yet one more opportunity to bring attention and tax dollars to the city. For tourism leaders, it's also a dress rehearsal for one year from now when the stadium will be home to the NCAA Men's Final Four.

"We're definitely planning and putting our host hats on,' said Decima Cooper, director of public relations and communications for Experience Arlington. "It means a lot of people exploring and getting to know the city. It's a great time to be here.'
Cooper said she expects college students and their families and the traveling fan groups for the teams to hit town around Wednesday. She said that instead of shying away from local venues this weekend, Arlington residents should get out and take part in the enthusiasm of college basketball.

"I love the energy that they bring,' she said of basketball fans.

Cooper said those fans would find the same impressive array of restaurants, shopping and entertainment offerings as those who've attended other high-profile athletic contests in Arlington.

The city and Cowboys Stadium have hosted myriad other sporting events ranging from high school football championships to the Cotton Bowl, the NBA All-Star Game to the pinnacle of professional sports, the Super Bowl and the World Series. On any given weekend, fans of bull-riding to monster trucks also fill parking lots and restaurant tables.

Arlington is the home of two professional sports teams, Cooper noted, which makes the city adept at handling large-scale events and the national spotlight that the college basketball finals will bring next year.

She said this weekend's events are expected to be only a taste of the Final Four's economic benefit active hotels, busy restaurants and bustling retail centers.

"Tourism is vital to this city,' she said. "We do big events pretty well here.'

Cooper encouraged visitors to take in opportunities like tours of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington or Cowboys Stadium. Six Flags Over Texas currently is open on weekends. And local destinations like the International Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame, Alley Cats games and arcade, the Sam Moon store, and the Arlington Highlands shopping center and Parks Mall in south Arlington are popular choices for families, she said.

Officials said Cowboys Stadium lots would be available for event parking for $35.