Having the NCAA women’s basketball March Madness tournament will give a welcome boost to Albany and its economy, Mayor Kathy Sheehan said.

“It’s really an opportunity for us to showcase what an amazing place the city of Albany is and the entire Capital Region is,” said Sheehan. “The more successful we get at putting on these types of events, the more we think we will be able to attract these types of events year after year.”

Sheehan encouraged people even without tickets to come down and enjoy the fan fest near the arena.