It’s been five years since the Georgetown men’s basketball team has made it to the Sweet 16, and the Hoyas’ landmark season is yielding both fans and funds for the university.

As the men of Hoya basketball take on the University of Florida Gators tonight in hope of advancing to the Elite Eight, Georgetown fans are finalizing their plans to cheer on the team.

Students will be flocking to places like Lulu’s Mardi Gras club at 22nd and M Streets that has advertised broadcasting the game on over 30 television screens, including a 100-inch projection-screen television.

Hoya Blue is also sponsoring spots in the Leavey Center for students to watch tonight’s game, including Hoya Court, Sellinger Lounge and Hoya’s Bar. The spirit club has not, however, planned further promotion of the Hoyas’ first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 2001.

“We thought about doing some promotions,” said Raymond Borgone (MSB ’08), events officer for Hoya Blue. “But then we realized that the game itself is much bigger than anything we could do to promote it.”

But Georgetown students aren’t the only ones celebrating the Hoyas’ recent success. The return to the NCAA tournament of the boys in blue and gray also could mean an influx of new revenue not only for Georgetown, but also its peers in the Big East conference.

The Big East has earned $164,000 for each game that each of its 16 members has played so far this season, which is to be divided among every university in the conference, according to Jennifer Kearns, associate director of public and media relations for the NCAA.

“The Big East as a whole has benefited by the fact that many of our member teams are being recognized nationally at the highest level [by being invited to the NCAA tournament],” said John Marinatto, senior associate commissioner of the Big East Conference.

The conference will earn additional funds for the 17 games that it will have played in the NCAA tournament after today’s action.

The money that the Big East receives from the NCAA is distributed to its member institutions based on their performance. For each game the Hoyas play in the tournament, the Big East sends the university approximately $115,000. After all of the schools have been compensated for their performances, the remaining pool of money will be divided 16 ways, with every Big East institution receiving an equal share.

“The money given to the teams for their participation is primarily meant to pay for the expenses of playing in the tournament that are not covered by the NCAA,” Marinatto said

With respect to the money received by all 16 member institutions, Marinatto said that neither the Big East nor the NCAA mandates how the universities use it.

“Once the schools receive the money, it is up to the decision-makers at each institution to decide how to make use of it,” he said.