Sweet 16 Facts About the NCAA West Regional Teams in L.A.

NCAA® March Madness is coming to Los Angeles! Hosted by Pepperdine University, the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship West Regional is taking place March 22 & 24 at STAPLES Center. One team will leave Los Angeles as champion of the West Regional and a berth in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four®.

On Thursday, March 22, the first game of the West Regional features Michigan vs. Texas A&M. Michigan freshman reserve guard Jordan Poole sank a three-point buzzer beater to send the Wolverines into the Sweet 16. Texas A&M beat defending National Champion North Carolina by 21 points to advance to the Sweet 16. The second game that night features Gonzaga vs. Florida State. Last year's national runner-up, Gonzaga is the only team left from last year's Final Four. FSU came from behind to upset Xavier for a spot in the Sweet 16.

With top-seeded Xavier and second-seed North Carolina eliminated, it's sure to be a wild West Regional! Read on for Sweet 16 facts that connect the four schools to Los Angeles.

1. ROSE BOWL GAME
The Michigan football team has a long relationship with the Rose Bowl Game, beginning with the very first one. Originally titled the "Tournament of Roses East–West Football Game," the "Granddaddy of Them All" was first played on Jan. 1, 1902 at Tournament Park in Pasadena and started the tradition of New Year's Day bowl games. Michigan crushed Stanford 49-0 and claimed the first national championship for the football program. The Wolverines have won eight Rose Bowls, which have been played at the landmark Rose Bowl Stadium since 1923.  Read More →

2. LAWRY'S THE PRIME RIB
Decades after that first Rose Bowl, the all-time Lawry's Beef Bowl player record was set in 1978 by former Wolverine Ed Muransky, who consumed eight plates of prime rib, mashed potatoes, corn and Yorkshire pudding - an astonishing total of eight pounds of beef. (This is NOT recommended for Michigan basketball players, fans - or anyone, really.) Find out 14 tasty facts about Lawry's The Prime Rib, one of L.A.'s most iconic restaurants. Read More →

3. ARTS DISTRICT BREWERIES & BARS
Ann Arbor is well known for its thriving beer culture. Michigan fans and alums will enjoy a bar crawl in the Arts District of Downtown L.A., home to numerous acclaimed breweries and craft beer bars. Read More →

4. GO GREEN
With the 47th annual Hash Bash coming up on campus, not to mention Earth Day a couple of weeks after that, we think Michigan visitors will appreciate this guide to going green in L.A. (no, we don't mean Michigan State) Read More →

5. CHARLES E. TOBERMAN - "THE FATHER OF HOLLYWOOD"
Real estate developer Charles E. Toberman attended Texas A&M for three years back when it was known as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. Toberman was known as the "Father of Hollywood" for his role in developing many of L.A.'s most recognizable landmarks, including the Hollywood Bowl, Grauman's Chinese Theatre (now TCL Chinese Theatre), the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, El Capitan Theatre, and the Hollywood Masonic Temple, now known as El Capitan Entertainment Centre and the home of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

6. WINE BARS
Boasting several wineries in the area, College Station welcomes wine lovers from near and far. Oenophiles in town for the Sweet 16 will love this guide to Los Angeles wine bars with stellar food. Read More →

7. ROSS STRIPLING - LOS ANGELES DODGERS
As a Texas A&M pitcher, Ross Stripling threw a no hitter for the Aggies against San Diego State on May 12, 2012. Less than a month later, the Los Angeles Dodgers selected him in the fifth round of the Major League Baseball Draft. Stripling made his MLB debut in April 2016, and he's since become a key member of the bullpen. The Dodgers are celebrating their 60th anniversary season in L.A. this year. Their home field, Dodger Stadium is one of the great cathedrals of baseball. From no hitters to the greatest sports moment in L.A. history, read on for the Top 10 moments in Dodger Stadium history.  Read More →

8. BATTLESHIP IOWA
Although the 41st president attended Yale, the George Bush Presidential Library is located on the campus of Texas A&M. As Vice President, George H.W. Bush re-commissioned the famed Battleship IOWA (aka the "Battleship of Presidents") in 1984 and would later be the ship’s Commander-in-Chief from 1989 until she was decommissioned in 1990. Today the IOWA is permanently docked at the LA Waterfront in San Pedro and welcomes visitors from around the world to explore the maritime museum. Read More →

9. IDLE HOUR
Gonzaga fans will feel right at home in the landmark Idle Hour in North Hollywood. Part of the 1933 Group of themed bars, Idle Hour was restored and reopened in 2015, featuring a stunning barrel shaped taproom, dog-friendly patio and a replica of the Bulldog Cafe.

10. PARKS
Known as the birthplace of Father's Day, Spokane is regarded as an early leader among Western cities in developing a citywide park system. Like Spokaneites, Angelenos also enjoy their city's outdoor spaces. Whether you're casually strolling through an urban oasis or getting some exercise on a scenic hike, gorgeous weather and beautiful natural surroundings will be your constant companion. Read More →

11. NIKE 3ON3
Spokane Hoopfest is touted as "the largest 3on3 outdoor basketball tournament on Earth," with over 6,000 teams and 450 courts spanning 45 city blocks. While it may be smaller in scale, the annual Nike 3on3 Tournament at L.A. LIVE is one of the sports highlights of the summer, taking over the streets that surround STAPLES Center on Aug. 4-5, 2018.

12. BING CROSBY - WALK OF FAME
A native of Spokane and a Gonzaga alum, Bing Crosby was one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century, having sold more than one billion records and tapes, as well as CDs and digital downloads. Crosby is one of 33 people to have three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in the categories of motion pictures, radio, and audio recording.

13. CAR COLLECTIONS
The Tallahassee Automobile Museum houses the collection of businessman DeVoe Moore, which includes classic cars, three Batmobiles and a wide range of Americana. Los Angeles is world famous for its long love affair with the automobile. Car culture has been part of the city's DNA for generations, and one of the best known destinations for gearheads is the spectacular Petersen Automotive Museum. But the Petersen isn't the only museum for car buffs. From classics to hot rods, read on for extraordinary car collections on view at museums and showrooms across Los Angeles. Read More →

14. FIRST FRIDAYS - VENICE BEACH
Located a short walk from FSU, Railroad Square Art Park is the creative hub of Tallahassee, home to dozens of studios, galleries and shops. During the monthly First Friday, the galleries and shops stay open late, and the art park hosts live music and food vendors. That sounds very similar to First Fridays on Abbot Kinney, the heart of the creative community of Venice Beach. Starting at 5pm, "the Coolest Block in America" welcomes dozens of food trucks, while shops offer sidewalk specials and galleries often host openings.

15. JIM MORRISON - THE DOORS
Before he transferred to UCLA, Florida native Jim Morrison attended FSU and even appeared in a school recruitment film. Perhaps hinting at his future rock star career, Morrison was arrested for pulling a drunken prank after a FSU home football game. At UCLA, Morrison met fellow film student Ray Manzarek, and the rest is rock n roll history. Discover the L.A. locations associated with The Doors. Read More →

16. LAMARCUS JOYNER - LOS ANGELES RAMS
Lamarcus Joyner was the starting cornerback on the undefeated Seminoles team that won the 2013 BCS National Championship. FSU beat Auburn 34-31 in the 2014 national championship game, which was played at Rose Bowl Stadium and is considered a classic. Joyner was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 2014 NFL Draft and is currently free safety for the Los Angeles Rams, who used their franchise tag on Joyner in March 2018.