The Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament kicked off Wednesday night in Minneapolis and continues through this weekend.

Of course Gophers fans are excited to see their team, which ended the first night with a win over Rutgers, but fans of many other teams and Iowa star Caitlin Clark are also fueling turnout at Target Center and businesses nearby.

“The last few weeks have been more like before pre-pandemic up in the skyways, so it’s really exciting,” Minneapolis Downtown Council President and CEO Adam Duininck said.

The event sold out for the first time in its history this year, and the men’s tournament is also in Minneapolis and starts next week.

Altogether, it’s an exciting time for basketball fans and downtown businesses alike.