Dayton, First Four have been a perfect fit

Charlie Walker has worked at the UD Arena for a long time.

Walker, the arena’s event staff supervisor, was here when the first play-in games started — just two teams — in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. He was here when Kansas played here four times between 1995 and 2001. He was here in 2011, when the tournament decided to expand the opening games in Dayton to four games and eight teams.

But nothing will compare to March 13, 2012.

There’s just something unforgettable about the leader of the free world showing up to your job.

“There’s a tunnel that leads up right to a seat on the baseline, and that’s where the president sat,” Walker said, pointing down to the seat from the mezzanine. “He wanted to see a First Four game. He also had (UK Prime Minister) David Cameron with him. Him and Cameron were a riot, they were a hoot.”

If you ever wanted to try and gauge how much Dayton’s First Four has become ingrained in our collective basketball psyche, President Barack Obama showing up to watch Western Kentucky play Mississippi Valley State with Cameron and Ohio Gov. John Kasich in tow should do it.

Obama even sprang for hot dogs for everyone sitting around him.

“It was just a great day,” Walker said. “The way people reacted to seeing (Obama) was just amazing. ... I also ended up having to work with the Secret Service, the FBI, the CIA and Interpol all in one day.”

Dayton has seen a lot of great days, thanks to the NCAA Tournament’s decision to bring opening games to its 13,500-seat arena. The games have a yearly estimated $4.6 million direct economic impact in Dayton, according to The Big Hoopla, an Ohio non-profit corporation for the local organizing committee.

“It’s a point of pride for Dayton, we make sure the people that come here are welcome and know the community is happy to have them here,” said Holly Allen, director of marketing and communications for the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. “It has a lot to do with the fact we’re a basketball town. We love the University of Dayton Flyers and it’s a huge honor to to show off what we do for the Flyers on a regular basis for other teams that come here. It’s just the right fit for us.”

Monday’s practices for the four teams playing in Tuesday’s games — Fairleigh Dickinson against Florida Gulf Coast and Vanderbilt against Wichita State — were sparsely attended, although Tuesday’s games will have no such problems. First Four games in Dayton sell out almost every year.

“It doesn’t really matter who the teams are,” Allen said. “We just want to come out and cheer them on.”

WSU did have one big supporter in attendance on Monday when ESPN analyst Mark Adams, who lives in Dayton and grew up in the region, showed up and sat in the same baseline seats as Obama and Cameron and watched the Shockers practice. Adams, who broadcasts Missouri Valley Conference games and regularly does games at Koch Arena, chatted with WSU coach Gregg Marshall and guard Ron Baker during the Shockers’ public practice.

“Obviously, I’ve got a lot of friends here,” Adams said. “I just wanted to come up tonight to say ‘Hi’ to Gregg and Ron and Fred and just enjoy the experience.”

Fans visiting Dayton are usually here on a short trip. They can enjoy the games and, if they need to get out, head to downtown Dayton’s Oregon District for fun after their team plays ... or to drown their sorrows, in some cases.

Either way, they will find “First Four” banners popping up on most every wall in town this time of year.

“It’s a big deal,” Allen said. “We want to make sure everyone that comes here feels welcome and has a great experience.”

This story was originally published March 15, 2016 at 10:56 AM with the headline "Dayton, First Four have been a perfect fit."