Indy hosting all of March Madness
January 4th, 2021 at 9:01 AM ^
Makes sense, centrally located.
January 4th, 2021 at 9:02 AM ^
That is madness!!!!
January 4th, 2021 at 9:09 AM ^
“We’re gunna need a bigger shrimp” ~ St Elmo (probably)
January 4th, 2021 at 9:13 AM ^
Harry and Izzy’s too!
January 4th, 2021 at 4:09 PM ^
Slippery Noodle Inn says ‘Hello’.
January 4th, 2021 at 9:11 AM ^
Excellent. Four college courts within a 5 mile radius. Loved our 15 years there...lovely, lovely downtown area.
January 4th, 2021 at 11:06 AM ^
Totally agree. Indianapolis is perfectly set up to handle events like this, the B1G basketball tournament should be there every year IMO.
January 4th, 2021 at 9:13 AM ^
Seems like that will be challenging to pull off the first weekend.
January 4th, 2021 at 10:11 AM ^
It's doable because they have 4 college courts plus a few HS courts to host the 1st 2 rounds of the tournament.
January 4th, 2021 at 10:28 AM ^
They also have no conventions planned any time soon in Indy or most anywhere else.
January 4th, 2021 at 10:28 AM ^
The multiple courts will make a big difference. Clearly that's what will have to happen. I bet there are still logistical difficulties such as hotels for all the teams...although if there are no fans that will help there as well. No doubt they'll figure it out.
January 4th, 2021 at 10:30 AM ^
You could also put a couple of floors at Lucas Oil and where ever the pacers play. I don’t think there’s be a need for high schools at all
January 4th, 2021 at 10:13 AM ^
A field of 64-68 teams would surprise me, but if you’ve got four arenas, you can get in 32 games in two days. The players would probably need to dress at their hotels tho.
January 4th, 2021 at 9:13 AM ^
I was going to say we already knew this, but apparently it's breaking news. I guess it was just something widely discussed before.
January 4th, 2021 at 9:18 AM ^
It was decided, but no contract was arranged/signed until now. So now it's official!
January 4th, 2021 at 9:14 AM ^
I would love to see a game at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Just make sure to measure from the floor to the rim before playing. Norman Dale would insist.
January 4th, 2021 at 9:36 AM ^
If you haven't been, that is a highly (HIGHLY) recommended experience (which is probably redundant to say as you mention wanting to catch a game there). Took my son there for his first college game and it was an awesome experience. Made it a point to do that before going to a Pacers game because the NBA is more like walking into a slot machine with all the flashing lights, bells, and whistles. I'm hoping they have some allowance for socially distanced fans in attendance who have been vaccinated. I'll go to so many games.
January 4th, 2021 at 9:43 AM ^
I imagine Hinkle is the basketball equivalent of hockey at Yost before it was renovated.
January 4th, 2021 at 12:37 PM ^
That's a fair analysis having been to both. Architecturally, a very similar feel. Lots of brick, exposed steel, and history. Hinkle might be a little less vulgar and with fewer incidents of opposing parents charging into the stands. Though I suppose I wouldn't put that past Coach Dale to charge into the stands.
January 4th, 2021 at 12:40 PM ^
There actually might be a decent number of fans for these games. The state of Indiana has been much more open through the pandemic than some of the surrounding states. By mid-March they could be allowing 25% capacity for games. Of course, the NCAA might have negotiated a mandatory no-fans policy into this contract.
January 4th, 2021 at 9:16 AM ^
Using the 4 university arenas you can get about 4 games per arena, per day. That should be feasible for the first weekend.
January 4th, 2021 at 9:17 AM ^
They should have done a Milwaukee/Chicago joint tourney IMO:
-Easier airport to get to (Even though ORD sucks, I know)
-New arenas for the Bucks and DePaul, as well as the existing United Center and other arenas in the area.
-Both cities very close to each other.
January 4th, 2021 at 9:20 AM ^
See 1VaBlue1's post below yours for what IMO was the main driving force for picking Indy.
January 4th, 2021 at 9:57 AM ^
Indianapolis is city stuck in the middle of the corn and bean fields of Indiana...and airport access is a breeze to downtown. The physical logistics of holding this event in Indy would be infinitely more simple than any other city I know of. Three of the courts would be easily walkable from downtown and Hinkle is very easily accessible and less than 5 miles away. The teams playing at Hinkle could stay in the Broad Ripple area and enjoy that charming social hot spot. Indy is a mindless choice for this situation.
January 4th, 2021 at 9:18 AM ^
It's good to be the hometown of the NCAA!
January 4th, 2021 at 9:25 AM ^
Since they are saying #marchmadness, I assume this is happening in March? I had read previously that pushing the tournament to May was a possibility.
January 4th, 2021 at 10:20 AM ^
"#Maymadness" wouldn't work. The idea of watching Mark May getting frustrated again and again with Lou Holsssch doesn't sound like fun.
January 4th, 2021 at 12:43 PM ^
I've heard that idea too, but it does not make any sense. Teams and players peak at the end of their conference seasons. To tell them all to stand down for two months and then ramp up again for the tournament is not possible.
January 4th, 2021 at 9:40 AM ^
Makes a lot of sense logistically, even with that first weekend likely being a hassle. I still think it's crazy we're trying to bring thousands of people to a single city to live, practice and play in enclosed facilities during a pandemic, but (a) perhaps vaccine distribution will be better by March that the risk is somewhat mitigated, and (b) it's pretty clear nobody really cares anymore if the checks keep clearing.
January 4th, 2021 at 10:00 AM ^
It's no Disney World, but it'll do.
January 4th, 2021 at 10:06 AM ^
I've got FF tix, so I just want to be able to go. Especially given this team's potential.
January 4th, 2021 at 10:27 AM ^
Franz kinda getting screwed... he comes to US to play in this tourney... missed last year, and now this year no fans. Or will there be ?
January 4th, 2021 at 11:52 AM ^
When he collects his MVP trophy it will make him feel better.
January 4th, 2021 at 10:31 AM ^
So, no football stadium for the Final Four? Don't think that's happened since 1996.
January 4th, 2021 at 10:48 AM ^
Lucas Oil Field isn't a football stadium? Interesting...
However, without fans, why go to a football stadium? Only in those things for the number of fans involved, anyway!
January 4th, 2021 at 12:43 PM ^
If there are no fans (or limited fans) they should totally play it at Hinkle. Watching the game in a totally vacant football arena would be very, very weird. It's something they would never do otherwise and it could be a neat spin on a pandemic tournament.
January 4th, 2021 at 12:50 PM ^
I hadn't thought of that. I've always absolutely HATED that they play the F4 in these massive domes (saw one of the games at Ford Field several years ago and it was like sitting in an airline terminal watching guys play basketball on the runway). If you're not trying to grab money and stuff 60,000 fans in there, what is the point of a football stadium?
That said there is the beautiful campus of the University of Indianapolis just 15 minutes from downtown. They could play games there. As bad as the NBA playoffs were, they at least did a pretty good job of staging those games so they didn't seem so empty.
January 4th, 2021 at 10:59 AM ^
Well, if there's no fans I guess there's no reason to go through the effort. Though it would be amusing to put it on the Colts field but without the field level bleachers so it's just a court in the middle of a football field
January 4th, 2021 at 11:05 AM ^
I wonder how they're going to house everyone. I assume the NCAA is going to block out an enormous amount of hotels for this. 68 teams x however many people each team brings is quite a bit of hotel space. Fingers crossed they can pull it off. No march madness sucked