Finally tonight, it's been more than a decade, but the madness is back in Newark.

The Prudential Center is hosting the Sweet 16 and Elite eight for the NCAA tournament starting tonight and into this weekend, bringing thousands of college basketball fans to town.

New Jersey has been left off the list for hosting games for years now due to legalized gambling.

But times have changed, and that's great news for Newark's businesses who stand to rake in the profits from increased tourism.

Ted Goldberg got a sneak peek at the setup inside the rock and talked to local businesses about how they'll take advantage of the crowds.

The Prudential Center is expecting big crowds for its three NCAA tournament games.

We'll be just under 20,000 counting everyone in suites.

So we're excited about that.

Dylan Wanagiel says the Rock needed a little refinement before hosting the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight.

The NCAA really does have this down to a science that they'll they'll hand any venue booking their event, roughly a 300 page manual that you have to follow meticulously.

But but it's great.

You know, everything you need to know is in the manual.

So that's that's unique to our business.

You don't normally get that level of detail.

That detail includes the court itself.

The NCAA brings in a brand new basketball court that's never been used before.

So our Seton Hall court's been used for a 15 games a year for many years and is a great court.

But getting that loaded in properly and ready to go was was something new for us.

Big events are nothing new for the Prudential Center.

It even hosted a regional final in 2011, but was practically ineligible for a while because the NCAA didn't want to host events in New Jersey after the state tried to legalize sports gambling.

The next year, things progressed to a point where the NCAA felt comfortable coming to New Jersey.

We're eternally grateful for that.

That aspect of the sports world has changed quite a bit over the past ten years.

So yeah, we feel well-positioned to to book future NCAA events.

It's great.

It's, you know, again, it was validation then.

It's great to see it come back.

Jeff Vanderbeek owns the Devils and the Prudential Center.

The last time the tourney was in town bringing new fans to Newark.

We always talked that when we had the Devils events that it was the first thing that the suburbanites would see when they came in here.

But this was different.

This was going to be, you know, certainly nationwide, even worldwide.

The folks at Hobby's Delicatessen say the 2011 tournament was more than just a moneymaker for small business.

It was also a showcase for Newark as a whole, showing out-of-towners that the Brick City was on the rise.

To get people from all over the country coming here.

Blond haired, blue eyed groups.

It was awesome because I think people at that point were a little concerned about coming to Newark and they got a great greeting.

They had a wonderful time.

Mark and Michael Brummer say they served a lot of sandwiches during the last tournament and customers got a good look at Newark.

It taught people that Newark was just like any other.

City and.

You know, it wasn't all about the headlines.

As for the next generation of Newark entrepreneurs.

In 2011, I think I was a freshman in high school.

I it was getaway.

They might have been too young to remember, but folks like Justice Pitt Goodson at his new shop, the Atill here are making their sales pitch for new customers.

Newark has so much to offer.

It's so diverse in its offerings, from business to engagement to the entertainment aspect of things.

A lot of these small businesses, you know, are recruited from scratch and not changed.

Tournaments like these really make the difference in a good sales day.

There will be a deejay Saturday night at the Hanna Bistro, and we're excited to for people to try our new flavors.

Gabriel Ribeiro hopes basketball fans will grab food and coffee at sea.

Havana Bistro and Notice Newark continuing to rebound.

I think the perception has changed and Newark is growing.

Development wise, population wise, Newark.

Is certainly, in my opinion, not done with its, you know, comeback, but certainly they'd be taking you great steps in that direction.

And we're absolutely as a city, better off than we were in 2007, 2011, for that matter.

And, you know, there'll be more to come.

The state's economic development Authority says Governor Murphy, has been laser focused on bringing large scale events to the Garden State, which not only bring national attention but help support local restaurants, hotels and venues.

As we continue elevating New Jersey's reputation as a key destination for major events, it will help solidify our position as a hub for tourism and commerce.

The next chance for Newark to host the tournament is in 2029.

In Newark, I'm Ted Goldberg.

NJ Spotlight News.