March Madness will soon be upon us. The NCAA Division I Basketball 68-team Playoff for the University of South Carolina Women’s Team and Coach Dawn Staley, a West Columbia resident, are an annual rite.

And this year is no different. USC is one of the elite programs in the country. The Gamecocks are currently ranked third in the nation. Coach Staley has won three National Championships, the last one in 2024, a year in which the Gamecocks went undefeated. USC made it to the NCAA Final Four last year, before falling in the championship game.

This year’s Tournament selection show is Sunday, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. South Carolina is projected by Analyst Autumn Johnson as a No. 1 seed, along with UConn, UCLA, and Texas. The Women’s tournament starts on March 18. The 68-team men’s tournament begins on Tuesday, March 17.

March Madness, and the days of back-to-back action on the court is a tradition. All of the games are broadcast on TV and that draws large crowds to several West Columbia venues that are pleased to host watch parties.

Savage Craft Ale Works at 430 Center Street has large TV screens. The brewery rolls out the red carpet for hoops fans who love to come in to dine and watch the basketball games, said Manager Victoria Porter.

“The college basketball tournaments are a huge draw for Savage Craft,” Victoria said. “We have screens in several places, including a 70-inch screen in our courtyard. With USC’s Women’s team always in the mix, and we are a block-or-so away from Dawn Staley’s home, the fans pack the place. And the crowds get bigger as the Gamecocks advance. The fact that March Madness is in the spring makes it even more attractive for people who have been stuck inside when it’s cold outside. It is a special time of the year. And we’re planning menu and beverage specials in honor of March Madness.”

March Madness attracts a full contingent of basketball fans to D’s Wings at 415 Meeting Street in West Columbia. “The crowds are especially large when Dawn Staley’s USC Women are playing,” said Bartender Cameron Collars, “but they want to make sure they have D’s Wings for the game. The USC Women’s team is very good for business and we expect them to go all the way this year.”

Calloways Sports Bar and Grill at 2410 Augusta Road, in the Danwood Shopping Center, is another top spot in West Columbia to view any sporting event. The venue has 12 television screens and March Madness draws fans in droves, said bartender Sherry Cumbie. “And when the Gamecock Women are playing, it adds a lot of excitement and a local flavor ro the national tournament. Everyone is high-fiving and cheering. It can get loud in here when the Gamecocks play on TV.