The Portland State Vikings and their fans stood and cheered at a local restaurant when their first-ever NCAA Tournament date was announced on Sunday afternoon. The Vikings were given a 16-seed and will face the Midwest number one seed Kansas in Omaha, NE this Thursday at 9:25 a.m. Pacific Time (11:25 a.m. in Omaha).
The Vikings, who won the Big Sky Conference Championship, earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. It is the first time they have competed in the Division I championship in history.
Portland State is 23-9 on the season and has set a school record for wins in a year. However, they will face a formidable opponent in top-seeded Kansas (31-3), champions of the Big 12 Conference. Also competing in the Midwest Regional in Omaha are #8 UNLV (26-7) and #9 Kent State (28-6). So, the winner of the Vikings/Jayhawks game will play one of those two teams in the second round in an effort to reach the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in Detroit next week.
The Big Sky Conference Champion has generally received a tournament seed between 13 and 16 over the years. Portland State followers had anticipated a 14 or 15 seed this year. However, the Vikings won't complain about an opportunity to play in the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time. They will also have a chance to make history as a number 16 seed has never beaten a number one seed in the tournament.
“I'm looking at Arizona State, Ohio State, Virginia Tech and UMass teams that didn't get in,” said Coach Ken Bone. “I'm sure they would love a number 16 seed right now. So, we are grateful to be in the tournament.”
“I'm a little surprised, though. I thought we would be a 14 or a 15. But, it is what it is, and we go forward from here.”
The Midwest Regional will be played in the Qwest Center Omaha. The 17,839-seat arena is sold out. Creighton University and the Missouri Valley Conference are co-hosting the event. Free live stats and audio webcasts of the Westwood One radio network will be available at ncaa.com. The Portland State radio broadcast will be available on AM 910 KTRO in the Portland area. The game will be televised on CBS.
TICKETS
Portland State fans can purchase tickets from an allotment provided to the athletic department by calling Scott Herrin at 503.725.8274 or sending an email to herrin@pdx.edu. Portland State will have 550 tickets available to sell. The price will be $53 per session.
