Pittsburgh men’s basketball is one of two schools in Pennsylvania to hear its name called for the NCAA Tournament. March Madness betting begins on Tuesday as the Panthers play Mississippi State in Dayton at 9:10 p.m.
As Pittsburgh plays in the First Four, use this as a traveling guide if you’re making your way to University of Dayton Arena.
The winner enters the field of 64 to play Iowa State on Friday at 3:10 p.m.
Pittsburgh-Mississippi State First Four March Madness tickets
Tickets for the First Four at the University of Dayton Arena, home of the Dayton Flyers of the Atlantic 10 Conference, are surprisingly inexpensive.
The cheapest ticket in the building, which holds 13,435 people, is being sold for $35 in section 407. There are a bunch of seats in the 400 level, the arena’s highest level, between $35 and $55.
Tickets in the 300 level, the third deck, are also reasonable, ranging from $40 to $80.
In the 200 level, just above the first level, tickets are anywhere from $50 to $200.
There aren’t many seats available in the first level center-court sections. Most seats open in the bottom area are in the corners and behind the basket. Seats in the corners range from $90 to $150, and seats behind the basket are between $75 to $90.
Tickets are also eligible for the 6:40 p.m. First Four matchup between No. 16 Southeast Missouri State and No. 16 Texas A&M Corpus Christi. The winner plays top-overall seed Alabama.
Directions from Pittsburgh to Dayton
Traveling by car from Pittsburgh to Dayton is not a huge stretch. It’s roughly a four-hour ride, considering which way you take. All of the main routes utilize I-70W for the majority of the trip.
There are no direct flights from Pittsburgh to Dayton, and the cheapest flight costs $538 on American Airlines. There are five American Airlines flights that get you into Dayton by late morning or early afternoon on Tuesday. Most of the flight times are between four and five hours, including layovers.
Parking at University of Dayton Arena
Parking is available at the University of Dayton Arena. The school is making lots A, B, C and D available for ticket holders. The O Lot will not be available.
Lots A, B and C are sold in advance for $15. Lot D is sold on the day of the events for $20 per vehicle (credit and debit card only).
Does Ohio have legal sports betting?
Ohio does have legal sports betting, launching recently on Jan. 1, 2023. Pittsburgh fans can wait until they arrive at the arena to place their bets.
Ohio has 17 sports betting apps available to use, with the top ones including:
- DraftKings
- Caesars
- BetMGM
- BetRivers
- Bet365
- FanDuel
- BetFred
Ohio also has 12 retail sportsbooks, with the closest being Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway. The Barstool Sportsbook in Hollywood Gaming opened on March 12 and is 7.3 miles from the arena.
The University of Dayton Arena also sits between Columbus and Cincinnati. Both cities are roughly an hour drive from Dayton.
Here are retail sportsbooks in Cincinnati, which is 73 miles east of Dayton:
- FanDuel Sportsbook at Belterra Park
- Hard Rock Sportsbook at Hard Rock Casino
- Superbook at Taft’s Ale House
- BetMGM Sportsbook at the Machine Room
Here are retail sportsbooks in Columbus, 52 miles southwest of Dayton:
- Barstool Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino Columbus
- Caesars Sportsbook at Scioto Downs
Aside from placing bets on the Panthers, these additional locations also provide great places to watch the action for those who miss out on attending the game.
What to know about University of Dayton Arena
The University of Dayton Arena is completely cashless. Only credit, ApplePay and GooglePay are accepted.
For a list of food offerings, download the Dayton Flyers GameDay app.
The University of Dayton Arena also provides free Wi-Fi for all guests.
