Loyola campus gearing up for NCAA tournament

Emily Blanchard, a third-generation Loyola Rambler, had a different perspective during the team's Final Four run in 2018.

Back then, she was a high school senior planning to attend Loyola the next fall. Now, she's a junior at Loyola, ready to follow the Ramblers' 2021 NCAA tournament run with a closer view.

"I think it's really exciting to have this happen while I'm a student here," the 21-year-old Blanchard said. "I was super excited when it happened back in 2018 but I was still in high school so I wasn't really able to participate."

Blanchard is among the students, staff and alumni who are gearing up to cheer on their men's basketball team at the NCAA tournament for the second time in four years. Loyola University (24-4, 16-2) opens tournament play at 3 p.m. Friday on TBS against Georgia Tech.

With the Big Dance taking place solely in Indiana - much of it within a Lucas Oil Stadium capped at 25% capacity - most Ramblers fans will have to plan to enjoy March Madness on their home screens. But that doesn't mean they aren't just as excited.

Leo Malkin, a junior at Loyola, said the basketball team is the first thing people ask him about when his school comes up in conversation.

"I remember watching the (2018 Final Four run) and being pretty stoked," the 20-year-old visual communications major said. "I was super stoked to see it on a big stage. ... It's cool to have that identity."

Decked out in a Loyola hoodie and mask, first-year student Ashton Lozano said: "I've been excited all year."

The Pack, Loyola's official student section, has continued to drive up hype for students who have yet to experience an NCAA run. The group is hosting a grab-and-go event for students to pick up men's basketball spiritwear and dorm decorations.

Kailie Ryan, The Pack's only senior intern, said the team's Final Four run was an integral part of her Loyola experience, helping her to meet people during her first year.

"I met so many people who I'm still friends with to this day just sitting in Damen Student Center watching the games being projected onto the wall," Ryan said. "There were just hundreds and hundreds of people. ... It really built a sense of community."

That same sense of community is brewing within Loyola's newest class, many of whom moved to Rogers Park in January after the school's campus remained empty for almost a year.

First-year student Sydney Ryan said the tournament came at just the right time, proving to be a bonding experience in a year of disconnect.

"It gives us an actual sense of community when we haven't had that before," said Ryan, 19. "It gives a sense of school spirit, something to root for."

Next year's freshmen are also getting caught up in the excitement, according to Loyola Campus Safety Officer Herminio Flores.

"I've talked to a lot of families," Flores said. "Every single one of them said they're so excited that (Loyola) made the bracket."

With his daughter set to attend the school in the fall, Flores isn't just hoping for a successful run from the team - he believes in one.

"I think Cinderella's coming around again."