Damon's Grill was packed with Ball State University faithful to watch alongside the women's basketball team to find out its fate for the NCAA Tournament.
The Mid-American Conference champion Cardinals were projected to play anywhere from Duluth, Ga., to Seattle, but senior guard Porchia Green couldn't care less where they play.
"Doesn't matter," Green said. "It's basketball, lets just go somewhere and play."
Coach Kelly Packard said she preferred to be closer to home.
"For the sake of our families, for the sake of our fans, for the sake of students of Ball State, I would love to see it be in the Midwestern region," Packard said. "That's selfish but I think that we want as many people to enjoy this with us as possible."
Packard and the Cardinals got their wish, and will be play in Bowling Green, Ky., at E.A. Diddle Arena on Sunday.
Packard said pride was the first thing she felt when she saw Ball State on the screen as a 12th seed.
"It's not ever been there before in the history of our program," Packard said.
Packard said after she felt the pride for Ball State, she then noticed her opponent, the two-time returning national champion Lady Volunteers of the University of Tennessee.
"My first thought was opportunity," Packard said. "How many coaches in their first year as a collegiate head coach get to coach against Pat Summitt? And then just opportunity for our players to not only get in the tournament, now play one of the most recognizable universities for women's basketball in the country."
After finding out where the Cardinals would play and who their opponent would be, junior guard Audrey McDonald said it was going to be exciting to play against one of the greatest coaches.
"It's going to be exciting, and it's going to hard to calm the nerves for this one but, they put their shoes on the same we do, and it's going to be a heck of a basketball game," McDonald said.
Packard said she doesn't know how much she'll say to Summitt before the game, but she respects what Summitt has done on and off the court.
"The things that she's accomplished in the women's game have been huge," Packard said, "but I just think the investment she's made in her players and the way that they continue to stay in touch, and that tells me that she's had a big impact on them off the floor as well."
Other Ball State coaches were in attendance to celebrate and congratulate the women's team while it found out where it would be seeded.
Women's tennis coach Kathy Bull said the women's basketball team inspires excitement for the rest of Ball State's teams.
"I think it's inspiring - how can it not be?" Bull said. "We talked about it today at practice and we sent a note today to Kelly and the team to congratulate them on behalf of women's tennis. I think they should inspire all of us."
Women's golf coach Katherine Mowat said the women's basketball team's success has inspired her - even into her imagination.
"I absolutely love the picture that now splashes ballstatesports.com," Mowat said. "I just think it's wonderful and I'm so proud of the team and what they have done. I'd be lying I didn't say I looked at that picture and I had visions of my team, of us having a team picture up there."
Packard said that it's always more fun to share something special with a lot of people and the location of the first-round games will allow that to happen.
"And I secondly would much rather play [Tennessee] in Bowling Green then I would in Knoxville," Packard said.
Packard said that the preparation for the game would be similar to what the Cardinals have done all year long and they wouldn't change how they scouted because it is Tennessee.
McDonald said it was exciting to celebrate at Damon's Grill, but now it's time to prepare for the task at hand.
"We're excited because now we can get to work," McDonald said. "It's been awesome to be here and celebrating with all these amazing people and great fans. So now it's just time to get to work and get after it."
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