Basketball buzz is back for fans, businesses in Tucson

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TUCSON, Arizona (KGUN) – The basketball season at the University of Arizona is back. And the hustle and bustle isn’t just in the arena, but around Tucson.

In a city full of basketball fans, last season’s COVID-19 restrictions kept most at home and prevented fans from gathering for games at McKale Center.

The return of fans is a welcome sight for bars and restaurants near campus, such as University Boulevard. Even non-sports bars like Snakes & Lattes expect a net profit.

“We still benefit from it because we bring all the fans, friends, family, even teammates here,” said Wesley Kirvan, Snakes & Lattes bartender. “I think we benefit from the fact that we can offer this service, this fun, relaxed atmosphere for everyone.”

Trident Grill has grown to be a Wildcat fan favorite for watching all kinds of sports, but basketball in particular.

“We are very excited about the return of the season,” said Chef Daniel Ramirez. “I’ve lived in Tucson for 20 years. And I’ve been in this restaurant for six years. And since I’ve been here, I’ve never seen such great support for a team … I mean, men and women. All just show up. “

And when the women’s team took on the title game last season, Ramirez said Trident was buzzing with hustle and bustle at every turn.

“Everyone was just ready to see this team, you know what I mean?” He said. “They wanted to see how far we could get. We thought we had a good team to just take everything. “

Some fans have been following the women’s team for decades, which makes this recent success even sweeter.

Nancy Symons and her husband have been avid fans for nearly 20 years. They drove from Green Valley to the women’s exhibition game last week and on Tuesday for the regular season opener.

“If a trainer [Adia] Barnes came, everything started to go up somehow, ”said Symons. “And it was really a wonderful trip for us to watch the team”,

Now, for the first time in more than 18 months, they don’t have to see the team on TV.

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