It's the most exciting, pressure-packed time of the year for basketball officials as well, and local ref Roger Ayers will be working the tournament once again this year.
Ayers was the speaker at Monday night’s meeting of the Roanoke Valley Sports Club.
He's in his 17th year as an official and has been in the ACC since 1998. He was on the court for the ACC Championship game in Greensboro on Sunday, and later this week he will work the Big Dance for the seventh time.
"Last year I worked the Regional Finals. And I did go in the Final Four, in the Superdome, as a stand-by official. That was exciting,” Ayers said. “I got a nice Final Four t-shirt and hat and got to sit there at the table. They notify us on Selection Sunday, (Sunday) night, just like everyone else. They select 96 refs from all over the country, so I'm honored to be in that group. It's 95 other top referees. Just to be involved in that, it's March Madness for us too."
