BOCA RATON, Fla. — From the basketball court to the administration office, Florida Atlantic University's journey to Houston could bring growth to the student body and endorsements to the student-athletes.
"It's definitely the talk of the town," FAU senior Mayah Giordany told WPTV.
It's certainly been the talk of the FAU campus this week.
"This is crazy exciting," FAU senior Danielle Yablonkam said. "Super unexpected and it's actually the coolest time for our whole FAU community to come together and support the basketball team."
The FAU Owls are going to the Final Four.
"I feel amazing right now because, like, I didn't expect this from the basketball team," FAU freshman Diego Pacheco said. "We actually have a chance to win a national title."
Even beyond the court, all the exposure could mean more dollars for not only the school but also the city of Boca Raton.
"It's a wicked big deal for FAU and it's a wicked big deal for Boca," Troy McLellan, president and CEO of the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, said.
McLellan said the possibilities for growth are endless.
"So excited [for] what it's going to bring to all the athletic programs, right," McLellan said. "And then it's like, 'Wow, OK, so think about enrollment. What does increased enrollment do? What does it do to the College of Business? What does it do to the medical school?"
McLellan said this could also be a big opportunity to attract more athletes to the school with scholarships and endorsements.
"Definitely when you reach the heights of success that FAU is now with their basketball program, that's going to generate more scholarships, more opportunities for some young men to participate and bring them in here," McLellan said.
The Final Four-bound Owls are putting FAU on the map, one basket at a time.
"I feel that we have a legitimate chance of winning, like, the whole thing," Pacheco said.
Giordany said the Final Four appearance should be positive for the university.
"It should be really, really good for the school," she said.
