Butler, much like Gonzaga, has built its basketball program up to the level where even casual Saints fans recognize this as a huge game for Siena with NCCA tournament implications. The students get that too.

Naturally, for a game of this magnitude, the Albany and Troy bars will open their doors for the early tip off time to accommodate the many Siena students looking to go out to watch their Saints. However, those bars will only be welcoming still-depressed Colts fans (or the usual Knicks fan crowd). Why? Because this weekend begins Siena’s super early spring semester break and students will be essentially kicked off campus by early Saturday morning.

Instead of packing Jillians, Broadway Joe’s, or even just a townhouse, the majority of Siena students will be watching the team play from their homes– mostly in the tri state area. The upper classmen of the student body will be scrambling to find a sports bar while on their vacations to much warmer places than the capital region.

I’m going to do my best, but I’m going to be in the Bahamas. If I do find the game on TV, there’s a strong possibility I will be watching it in Spanish. – Tom McBride

This sentiment is shared by a great number of students going away for break. I should know since I am still currently in the process of finding a pub near my hotel in Key West…