March Madness is becoming a popular item in Western New York. Since 2000, the city of Buffalo has hosted a number of first-, second- and third-round games for the annual NCAA tournament at the arena downtown.

This year, however, the local twist could be even more exciting.

On Saturday, the University of Buffalo Bulls basketball team earned its first trip to the tournament by defeating Central Michigan 89-84 and won the Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship.

The Bulls coach? Bobby Hurley, who had a history of winning in the NCAA basketball tournament when he was a player at Duke.

For Bills and Sabres fans, there has been plenty of disappointment for five years. This gives Buffalo fans one reason to celebrate a post-season opportunity.