Detroit is on a rebound, and nothing showcases it quite like the sea of orange and gold flooding the streets when the NCAA decided to stage its East Regional games in the Motor City. Purdue and Tennessee fans were in full force downtown, as they geared up to watch the Elite 8 matchup unfold at the Little Caesars Arena, bringing a festive atmosphere to the once-stagnant city streets.

Reporters from CBS News Detroit spoke with visiting fans, many of whom were getting their first taste of Detroit. Many lauded the city's lack of traffic and its hospitality. "Nice hotel. No traffic. We had fun at Tin Roof," one couple said to CBS News Detroit. Moreover, fans took notice of the proximity of sports venues, one couple of Purdue fans pointing out, "LCA, Comerica, Ford Field. All close together. Lot of great things around too." The downtown charm seemed to resonate well, as one Vols supporter gushed, "The downtown part of Detroit has been so nice, so friendly and we've like had an amazing time."

As for the game itself, Purdue clinched a nail-biting 72-66 victory over Tennessee, sending them to their first Final Four since 1980, according to Detroit Free Press. Purdue's Zach Edey dropped a hefty 40 points to bring home the win, despite Tennessee's Dalton Knecht putting up a formidable 37 points of his own. In what was a tense, down-to-the-wire faceoff, Edey's final free throws and a thwarted three-pointer by Tennessee's Zeigler in the closing seconds sealed the deal for Purdue.

Yet, it wasn't just the game that was the talk of the town, the city itself left its mark on the visitors. "It’s honestly lovely, I feel like I’ve had such great hospitality, no one’s been rude, I really love this little strip right here," Shiv Patel from Chicago told WXYZ in an interview on his first visit to Detroit. In, spite of their team's loss, fans from Knoxville admitted the city surpassed their expectations. "It was beautiful, the bars were great, the restaurants were great, there was no traffic, everything was accessible, people were nice, Detroit crushed it," said Zack Roskop, reflecting on his experience.

The NCAA games were just a slice of what's shaping up to be a revitalized social and sports calendar for Detroit, with the city setting up for the NFL Draft later this April.