The Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team is playing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday evening.
This will be the first game the Tigers will play in NCAA Tournament since 2023, after going winless in conference play last year.
Many fans will choose to watch the game in downtown Columbia instead of traveling to Wichita to watch the Tigers face off against Drake University. The crowds could create pose safety concerns for small businesses.
But the city of Columbia and the Columbia Police Department decided not to provide additional accommodations for safety in the downtown area because the game is not a city sanctioned event.
“My understanding is that the (Columbia Police Department) will have normal patrol operations,” said CPD Public Information Specialist Brian McNeill.
Khesa Duncan, the Columbia Regional Director from the Better Business Bureau, said there are still ways for businesses to manage the crowds themselves without the city’s support.
“Making sure that if they need to maybe hire additional security or have certain hours where people can come in so that they don't get overrun with too much population and suddenly find themselves in violation of a fire code or something,” Duncan said.
Duncan also encourages small business to reach out to law enforcement for support should they need it.
“(Small businesses) should work collaboratively with the local police department to say, "Hey, would you mind driving by or just kind of paying special attention in this area?" if they're concerned about a large population,” Duncan said.
The game starts at 6:45.
