Many around the country call it madness.

Duquesne University athletic director Greg Amodio calls it the culmination of a lot of hard work.

Duquesne, and the soon-to-be-completed Consol Energy Center, were selected yesterday as hosts for the NCAA first- and second-round men's basketball tournament games Thursday, March 15 and Saturday, March 17, 2012.

The selection marks the third time Duquesne has been chosen as the host for a portion of the NCAA men's basketball championship.

Duquesne played host to the NCAA first and second round in 1997 and 2002 at what is now Mellon Arena.

"This is a terrific opportunity on a national stage for our university and our city, and the hard work and diligence of many people went into getting these games to come to Pittsburgh," Amodio said.

"This is a highly visible entity and a great opportunity, just a tremendous opportunity for Duquesne and the Consol Energy Center and, really, all of Pittsburgh. The NCAA's benchmark event has become the men's basketball tournament, and it likes to partner with venues and cities that are first class. In this case, the NCAA is getting exactly that, and the basketball fans of this area are going to get to benefit from it. It is just a great situation for everyone involved."

Count Jay Roberts, general manager of SMG, the group that runs the Consol Energy Center, as one of the elated.

Roberts -- who said the aim is to have the new facility open in time to begin hosting big events in September 2010 -- understands the NCAA's selection of Pittsburgh was something that came down to many, many factors.

"The Consol Energy Center is going to be modern, it will be a great place to watch a game, a great place for the NCAA people to come into and a great place for all facets of television production," Roberts said of the arena, which will accommodate 18,450 fans for basketball. "Between the scoreboard and the lighting and all the modern amenities for the fans and the television partners, it will have all the tangible things that go into creating a great arena and a wonderful atmosphere."

And then there are those intangibles, which everyone seems to think helped Pittsburgh just as much in its bid to get these games.

"In 1997 and 2002, the games were an immediate sellout, there was huge excitement around them and Pittsburgh made it a success because this is a city that welcomes big events and understands how to be a good host," Roberts said. "I was lucky enough to be sitting at the scorer's table in 1997 when Coppin State beat South Carolina. To see 17,000 people there witnessing that, and rooting like they did, was something that I will never forget. It was one of the greatest events I have seen in my life and is what the NCAA tournament, and the excitement around it, is all about."

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon would agree: He has seen that excitement -- and been the beneficiary of it -- firsthand.

Under NCAA tournament rules, Pitt would be eligible to play games at the Consol Energy Center in the 2012 tournament as long as it does not play more than three games there during the regular season. The NCAA also is more likely to place the Panthers in Pittsburgh if they earn a high seed.

Duquesne would not be eligible to play in the NCAA tournament at the Consol Energy Center because it is the host school. It would have to play in one of the other seven sub-regional sites.

In 2002, Pitt played its first- and second-round games at Mellon Arena, defeating Central Connecticut State, 71-54, and then California, 63-50.

"This is great news for the city of Pittsburgh and its basketball fans," Dixon said. "Pittsburgh is a great sports town, and we have terrific fan support. It's easy to see why the NCAA selected Pittsburgh; it is centrally located and has a tradition of sellouts.

"It certainly worked out well for us in 2002 as it was a tremendous advantage to be able to play in the NCAA tournament in front of our fans and supporters. It was a great experience for everyone involved. With the opening of the new Consol Energy Center, the event should provide even more excitement."

• What: NCAA first- and second-round men's basketball tournament games with Duquesne University as host.

• When: March 15 and 17, 2012.

• Where: Consol Energy Center, which will accommodate 18,450 fans.

• History: Duquesne was the host of the first and second rounds of the NCAA men's tournament in '97 and '02 at what is now Mellon Arena.