Gonzaga and Florida State have some history. It’s only been started up recently but last year, the Seminoles went on a surprise run to the Elite Eight and shocked Gonzaga in the process. Now, they meet again.

March Madness: No. 1 Gonzaga Vs. No. 4 FSU preview

The No. 4 seed Florida State Seminoles will take on No. 1 seed Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 on Thursday in Anaheim, California. The game will start at 7:09 p.m. EST and air on CBS. Gonzaga is coming in on a hot streak, most recently beating Baylor 83-71 with 36 points and eight rebounds from forward Brandon Clarke. And while most teams would treat Florida State as just another one, Gonzaga doesn’t. Coach Mark Few acknowledged the situation.

“They are a really good team. They’re going to demand our best and that’s what we want,” he said. “We wouldn’t want it any other way. It just so happened we got Florida State again in the Sweet 16 and we have a special itch to take care of against them.”

Though the Bulldogs were upset last year, Few felt confident in his team. While FSU has relied on their depth and developing a solid core, Gonzaga thinks that their team will negate that, especially since a significant portion has changed.

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“But look, they returned their entire team from last year, so we will watch the tape from that. We’re a much different team this year,” Few said. “Again, because like during the warm-ups we were notified that Killian [Tillie] wasn’t going to be able to play, so that was kind of a crushing blow to us, emotionally. Florida State was really good that night. I don’t know if we could have beaten them with Killian, but I know he would have really, really helped.”

Previously, the ‘Noles faced No. 13 Vermont and No. 12 Murray State. The No. 1 seed will be their first single-digit seed they’ll face off against. Despite their previous matchups, the Bulldogs will open up as a seven-point favorite over the ‘Noles. If Mfiondu Kabengele and Terrance Mann can produce in the ways they have previously, FSU could very well advance to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row.

The NCAA Tournament kicks off with the first four on Tuesday and Wednesday. Whether you’re looking for a sporting event to fill up the dead time between the NFL playoffs and the MLB regular season or a die-hard college basketball fan, the yearly NCAA Tournament is a spectacle. March Madness shows off the very best players fighting for their way into the record books.

March Madness 2019 Tickets

There’s something for every fan. There are powerhouse schools, Cinderella teams or just your hometown school. There’s also one-and-done, prep to pro players or the school legend squaring off in March. Loaded with stars ready to go pro and the chaos that a one-and-done game brings, you can’t turn away from the experience. That’s not to discount that these players are playing for nothing except passion, not super-max deals.

With tournament sites all over the U.S., including Dayton, Ohio, Raleigh, North Carolina, Denver, Brooklyn, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Anaheim, Louisville, Chicago, Philadelphia and Houston, there’s no excuse not to see a game in person.

This year, the Duke Blue Devils — led by Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish and RJ Barrett — are looking to write their names into the history books. If you miss this team before they go pro, you’d be missing a piece of NCAA history. With close to one in five bets picking Duke to win the national title, tickets are in demand.

That’s not to mention that Virginia, Gonzaga and North Carolina all have chances to win the title, with odds ranging from 6-1 to 8-1.

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If you can’t wait for the tournament to start, tickets for the first four are easy to get. At $55, you can see the entirety of the First Four in Dayton, Ohio. Games take place on March 19 and March 20.

Tickets to see the Hartford Full Strip on March 21 and 23 start at just $255. That includes Marquette facing off against Ja Morant and Murray State and Purdue versus Old Dominion. Games will take place at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

On March 29 and 31, the East Regional Full Strip takes off. For only $500, you can see the peak of college basketball at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.