Intrust Bank Arena is hosting the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Practice Day and Rounds 1 and 2 of the Midwest region this week.

The Practice Day was free and open to the public on Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 6:20 p.m.

Before noon, about 100 buses brought in nearly 4,500 students from Wichita Public Schools to Practice Day.

"We've been to a couple of sites in the past and normally on Practice Day most sites there may be 100 people in the arena to watch some of the practices. The NCAA has put a lot of focus this year on creating an amazing atmosphere on Practice Day, so that led to our conversations with USD 259 and a lot of people have been involved in that," said AJ Boleski, general manager for Intrust Bank Arena.

Several dozen law enforcement officers from Wichita Police Department and Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office are directing traffic and making sure the fan experience is both fun and safe.

"They have a great presence today and all week. They'll have a pretty big presence in downtown Wichita," said Boleski.

Intrust Bank Arena is utilizing metal detectors at every entrance and enforcing rules such as sizes of bags. 

"We do discourage backpacks, so no backpacks are allowed. We also limit the size of the bags to 14"x14"x6" just so that they fit under a seat," said Boleski.

Boleski is reminding fans that alcohol will not be allowed inside the arena during the NCAA tournament activities.

"We are in accordance with NCAA, but there are plenty of parties outside the building this week," he said. For a list of those parties, click here. 

What you need to know...

Per state law, no bars can serve, mix or allow the consumption of alcoholic beverages on its property between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. 

Per Intrust Bank Arena, among the items not permitted include the following: any weapons, bags larger than 14"x14"x6" and 35mm or detachable lens cameras. For a full list, click here.

Due to NCAA rules, no alcohol can be purchased inside Intrust Bank Arena. 

For more information about the NCAA tournament activities in Wichita, click here.