They’re lighting up Fort Wayne in blue — NCAA blue to be exact — to help welcome the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball National Championships, coming to the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum for the first time ever on March 16-17.

This major event has the chance of raising the profile of the Summit City when it comes to college sports. If all goes as well as expected, this tournament could be the first step in the process of getting an early-round NCAA Division I Men’s sometime in the future.

The tournament features 64 of the very best small college basketball programs in the country, all vying for a chance to play on the Coliseum court. The tournament commenced March 1 and has seen some intense action already, with several games coming down to the last shot. This presents an opportunity for someone who simply loves the sport of basketball or is a basketball purist to see great basketball played at the highest level small colleges have to offer.

It’s affordable too, with a $25 ticket good for both nights, including a National DIII All-Star Game that precedes the National Championship game on Saturday. — Chris Hupe