Update 5:30 p.m.
According to Dani Belinski, marketer for Nellingan Sports Marketing, the official corporate partnership between CB & Potts and CSU Athletics allows both organizations the chance to promote each other.
“We contact CB & Potts and set up this Watch Party for this game,” she said. “These parties are set up on a case-by-case basis.”
Belinski clarified that the 10 percent rebate from the restaurant’s earnings during the game go to student athlete scholarships for CSU.
Update 4:30 p.m.
Alum Kevin Keefe, who graduated with the class of 1981, commented on look of this year’s basketball team as compared to the ones he saw while he was in school.
“I don’t really remember our CSU basketball team when I was a student,” Keefe said. “That should tell you how good they were.”
But when it came to the look of this year’s team, Keefe thought they were the best he’s seen.
Keefe said that he just recently moved back to Fort Collins a month ago. He heard about the Watch Party through the Alumni Association. According to Keefe, 10% of the revenue generated from the Watch Party is donated to the Ram’s Club.
Keefe avidly paid attention to the stats for the first half of the game.
“At one point we were 6 out of 9 and then later on we were 9 of 12,” he said. “Still, we need to start doing better.”
Keefe recalled that the last time he remembered CSU making it this far in the tournament was in 1989, when the team moved on to the second round after beating Florida.
Update 3:50 p.m.
A well-stocked crowd has gathered at CB & Potts on Elizabeth St. to watch the Rams take on the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday, March 23.
Despite the large mass of green and gold seen throughout the restaurant, reservations were surprisingly easy, said Connor Boots, a senior finance major.
“I called in about 1:15 to see if I could reserve a table later this afternoon,” Boots said. “I was surprised that they were so relaxed about it! I thought they would have more people here!”
Despite the easy time Boots had making a reservation, according to Mikayla Hernandez, a freshman HDFS major and host for CB & Potts, their reservation numbers were much higher than usual.
“We had 26 people call in for reservations today,” Hernandez said. “This is much busier today than regular because of the basketball game. It was the same way on Thursday too.”
This story is developing. Stay with the Collegian for more updates.
