CARY, N.C. -

The stars aligned for me this year in the sports world, at least in terms of scheduling.

Fresh off a 15-1 season and third straight NFC South crown, my beloved Carolina Panthers were amid a sensational run to the Super Bowl.

I was the sports fan version of a nervous wreck, so it’s probably a good thing for me that the NADA Convention & Expo — one of the most important conferences we cover all year and one that typically takes place during the NFL Playoffs — had been pushed back to the spring.

Final Four weekend, in fact.

But no worries. The sports scheduling stars aligned once more.

N.C. State (my alma mater) took care of that early on with a 16-17 season and was never in any danger of being a contender for the NCAA Tournament. So, my sports sanity will remain intact, as I will won’t be sweating bullets with every Wolfpack jump shot.

Even without NCSU in this year’s field, the three weeks of the tourney is still my favorite time of year.

And the NADA Convention is one of my favorite events to cover as a journalist — for many of the same reasons I get pumped about March Madness as a fan.

Like an arena before tipoff, it’s the buzz of activity. Walking through the exhibit hall for the first time as reporter, that might be the first thing you notice — just how many companies are set up, how many people are there, how much conversation is happening. It’s the entire industry in one spot.

Similar to the back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back games on that first Thursday and Friday of the tournament, the Friday and Saturday of the NADA Convention for a reporter is wall-to-wall interviews and press conferences.

Sure, it can be a long couple of days, but it’s fantastic.  So much information, so many great story ideas. Scribbled up notepads and full recorders leave you with content for months on months.

The NCAA Tournament introduces you great newcomers to basketball greatness, like Florida Gulf Coast and George Mason. Likewise, there’s no better place to learn about the auto industry’s new startups and interesting new ideas than reporting at NADA.

We also love the heavyweight battles of the NCAA Tournament. Duke-Kentucky. Kansas-Carolina. And there’s certainly some “heavyweight” news from the big automotive players that’s seemingly always announced at NADA.

The opening rounds of the tourney — wacky and unpredictable as ever —  have been completed, with the Final Four grand finale set.  

But the electric madness of reporting at the NADA Convention is just getting started.