SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The Summit League Tournament at the PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls wrapped up its third day Sunday, and a lot of fans made their way from all over to watch the action.
On Saturday, we talked with Jacks’ fans who were there cheering on their favorite teams, and Sunday, we talked with some USD fans.
For a lot of basketball fans, the Summit League Tournament is a vacation.
“Absolutely love it. Everything’s fantastic about it,” Brett Nielsen said.
Brett Nielsen and Tim Freeburg are both a part of a big group of fans cheering on the Yotes — and their relationship goes way back…sort of.
“Well we just met tonight, didn’t we?” Nielsen asked.
“Yeah, but he was my mailman,” Tim Freeburg said.
“Yes, I’ve been his mailman for quite a while,” Nielsen said.
Regardless of how they met, they’re both there for the same reason — to cheer on their favorite teams and enjoy the experience.
“Hang out with my friends,” Freeburg said.
“I think I remember the first year we had a suite, and it was just absolutely fantastic. And every year, just the event, the place, everything, food, beverage — fantastic. Absolutely great environment to play basketball,” Nielsen said.
Bill and Amy Paulsen from Elk Point come to the tournament every year to cheer on the Yotes, but say they’re actually SDSU alumni. All of their kids graduated from USD, though.
“We don’t boo SDSU. We still clap and cheer, but we are definitely 100% Coyote,” Amy said.
The atmosphere keeps bringing them back.
“The people, the crowds, just the camaraderie of everybody coming together to watch the teams play. and it’s just always exciting. I do come for the popcorn, but I do like watching the crowds cheer for your teams,” Amy said.
“The athleticism of the kids are really talented, so it’s pretty fun to watch them grow. Especially this young team that we’ve got right now, so hopefully in three years they’ll be like the championship team we had last year. It’s a lot of talent and it’s fun to watch, especially for locally around here,” Bill said.
