RALEIGH -- The NCAA tournament will be dominating the thoughts of sports fans around the country over the next three weeks, and those fans will be spending a lot of money. One of the cities benefiting from hosting two rounds of tournament play is Raleigh.

Games will be played through the weekend at the PNC arena. Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce President, Harvey Schmitt, says it will have a big impact on the economy.

It's substantial and it is one of our biggest economic niches in the market. People wouldn't necessarily see us as a tourist destination, but the combination of business visitors and also leisure visitors to the market is a big number."

According to Schmitt, the immediate impact of people visiting Raleigh is expected to be 5-and-a-half million dollars.