NCAA notebook: Ray Tanner revisits familiar territory

Athletics director Ray Tanner attended the game Friday night. He was unable to fly directly into Sioux Falls, so he flew into Omaha, Neb., and drove.

The rental-car clerk asked Tanner, “Have you been here before?”

Tanner nodded, but didn’t have his rings available to show just how much he’d been there.

But at least the cups are approved

There were several South Dakota State fans among the approximately 3,500 locals who bought regional tickets. They were easy to spot, clad in the Jackrabbits’ blue and gold.

South Dakota State, a mid-major power, was eliminated in the round of 32 by Stanford after squandering an eight-point lead with less than five minutes to play.

Yet if the Jackrabbits had won, they wouldn’t have been sent to Sioux Falls. They were grouped in the Lexington Regional. It ended up not mattering anyway, but considering the NCAA relies a lot on school fanbases for the women’s tournament (in the men’s, fans will show up regardless of who’s playing), wouldn’t it have made sense to group the Jacks in the Sioux Falls Regional just in case they advanced?

Watch you bleed

The Syracuse band, upon hearing the opening chords of Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle,” offered their own version of Axl Rose’s starting howls. It was reminiscent of five dozen cats having their tails stepped on at once.

He left the truck tire at home

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey attended the regional. He was able to watch an SEC doubleheader.

This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 10:58 PM with the headline "NCAA notebook: Ray Tanner revisits familiar territory."