Indy to be longterm host of Big Ten Title Game
Pretty much what the title says. Indy will host the Big Ten title game for at least the first five years. Chicago would also have made sense to me, but I guess the new stadium in Indy is pretty darn nice. Seems like Chicago has more amenities for visitors, but the decision was made above my pay grade. On the other hand, O' Hare is a royal pain in the rear, and sometimes has to cancel flights at that time of year. No perfect venues out there, I guess.
Soldier Field or Lambeau. I just see Big Ten Football outside and not inside.
Do they have grass or turf in Indy? I'm assuming turf, as it is a dome, but they can do crazy things these days. It does seem like the Big Ten ought to play on grass and not plastic.
Doesn't almost every Big Ten team play on turf full time?
Edit:
Michigan/ OSU/ Iowa/ Minnesota/ Wisconsin/ Illinois/ Indiana/ Nebraska- Field Turf
Northwestern/ Purdue/ MSU/ PSU- Grass
The field at Indy is the same field turf product used at Michigan Stadium.
The difference between whatever variet of Field Turf an actually grass is negligible at best, to me.
I'd love to have seen a rotation that brought the game outside once in awhile. Something like Chicago, Indy, Detroit, Cleveland, or soemthing like that.
In the Big Ten it just seems like everything always has to default to Indiana or Chicago.
Except the game will be held in December and there are typically no Big Ten games in December. I'd much rather have the game indoors where the players will win the game as opposed to the weather drastically affecting the outcome.
edit for above poster: it's FieldTurf
I feel the same way, which sucks because I'm from Chicago. I guess I can look at it through the lens of I got half of what I wanted either way.
OTOH I'm surprised the Big Ten didn't name this the MegaBowl and have it take place in Flint in a 7,000 seat stadium charging $1,000 per ticket and giving the winner a twelve foot trophy.
Only pussies run away from a little snow and frozen tundra. They will play in the snow in the NFL. Might as well get them used to it.
Forget the outdoors have it at Ford Field, not only a great stadium but also help out the community by generating some more revenue.
It should also be noted that the Big Ten press release on this (see below) also covers future Big Ten basketball tournaments: The men's and women's Big Ten basketball tournaments will be held at Conseco Fieldhouse in 2012, 2014, and 2016, but in 2013 and 2015 the men's tourney will be held at Chicago's United Center and the women's tourney will be held in the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates at the Sears Centre Arena.
Big Ten Announces Future Sites for Football Championship Games and Basketball Tournaments
June 5, 2011
Park Ridge, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced today that the Council of Presidents/Chancellors approved a recommendation from university administrators for the cities of Chicago, Hoffman Estates and Indianapolis to rotate as the host sites for the Big Ten Football Championship Games and Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments for a four-year period beginning with the 2012-13 academic year.
The inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in December, and that facility will also host the title game in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. The 2011 Big Ten Football Championship Game will be played in prime time on December 3, 2011, with the winner earning the Big Ten Championship and a chance to play in the Rose Bowl Game or Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game.
The Big Ten Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments have been held jointly in Indianapolis and Conseco Fieldhouse for the last four years and will be back in the Circle City in 2012, 2014 and 2016. The 2013 and 2015 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournaments will return to Chicago and the United Center, which hosted the inaugural men's tournament in 1998 and on seven total occasions, most recently in 2007. The Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament will be held in suburban Chicago for the first time when the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill., hosts the event in 2013 and 2015.
The Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament has been held in only two cities in its first 14 years of existence, including the first four years in Chicago from 1998-2001. Indianapolis first hosted the event in 2002 and the cities rotated as the home of the men's tournament, with the Windy City hosting the event in 2003, 2005 and 2007 and the Circle City holding the tournaments in 2004 and 2006. The 2008 tournament marked the first of a five-year commitment to host both the men's and women's events in Indianapolis through 2012. Indianapolis has been the home of the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament in 16 of the event's 17 years, including the last 10 events at Conseco Fieldhouse.
It looks like having more basketball games in Chicago v. one football championship game was the dealmaker.
Chicago is better equipped for the larger amount of visitors so it makes "economic" sense to have the basketball tournaments in Chicago.
Nonetheless, I would prefer that the football game rotate through the many possible sites and that no preference be given to indoor over outdoor stadiums.
Indy is boring. However the fact it has no Miracle Mile like Chicago will save my wallet a lot of pain. So I will be bored but at least not broke.
but have you been to a Final Four in Indy ? or even the B1G BB tourney ?
It's a great place for the game partying ! and these party spots are ALL within walking distance to either the BB arena (Conseco) and football (Lucas Oil). Indy is going to host the Super Bowl this year ... so please the city does know about holding large sporting events ... not too mention the world's largest 1 day sporting event The Indianapolis 500.
I totally agree that Chicago is a great city ... but Rush Street isn't remotely close to either the United Center or Soldier Field. I would rather party and walk, than need to catch a cab / bus anytime.
If you're bored ... it's you own fault ! Plenty of bars and restuarants .... St. Elmo's steakhouse is as good as any (get the 32oz. porterhouse) and their shrimp cocktail sauce will blow the back of your head off ... its great, strong horseradish.
Plenty of downtown hotels, easy access as three interstates all meet in downtown Indy (I-65, I-70 & I-74 plus I-69 ends on the north side of Indy).
Indy will win everyone over after you go ... and excuse me, grass ??? really ?
Go Blue !
Pointing to cocktail sauce in an effort to downplay Indianapolis as boring?
QED
Nice try, Indiana Blue. But Indianapolis just isn't in Chicago's weight class. Indy may have plenty of bars and restaurants, but the difference is that the ones in Chicago are actually good.
have you actually been to either the Final Four in Indy, or the B1G BB tournament ? I've been to the last 2 Final Fours and 1 B1G BB tourney and the atmosphere for both events was awesome.
If you have, then you are entitled to your opinion. If not ... then why the blitz on Indy ?
I am not debating where I'd go for a great weekend ... no question Chicago (actually probably NY) but we're talking about the B1G Football Championship game and partying to get ready for the game. Downtown Indy will focus around this game, whereas most of Chicago wouldn't care one way or the other.
Go Blue !
Ira said that Indy is very fan-friendly place to have a championship game because it's easy for people stay near the stadiums and then just walk to them. He was basing this on his experiences with the Big Ten basketball championshp being held there.
I realize the logic of having the game indoors but I can't help but wish it was being held in Green Bay or Chicago. Being able to play in the cold is what separates Big Ten teams from the wilting flowers that play football down south. We're descended from vikings, damn it!
Seems like a good choice versus playing outside. Lets hope Michigan can turn the house that Peyton built into the Big House south.
Won't this give the Hoosiers an unfair home advantage if they ever ......ohh......nevermind
Let's face it - this is the only way the Hoosiers were ever going to get to the title game . . .
very disapointed its not in chicago. Chicago is such a nicer place than Indy. O well, when we win I wont care where it is
I don't mind this unless Notre Dame finds itself in the B1G in the next few years...which won't happen
Time it takes to drive from campus to Lucas Oil:
Indiana: 1 hour 10 minutes
Purdue: 1 hour 20 minutes
Illinois: 2 hours
OSU: 2 hours 55 minutes
Notre Dame: 3 hours 4 minutes (and the drive on 31 is AWFUL)
Northwestern: 3 hours 45 minutes
Michigan St: 4 hours 40 minutes
Michigan: 4 hours 45 minutes
Iowa: 6 hours
Wisconsin: 6 hours 10 minutes
Penn St: 8 hours 25 minutes
Minnesota: 10 hours 30 minutes
Nebraska: 10 hours 30 minutes
Why would the 5th-closest school to Indy affect your opinion on the site?
Didn't realize it was that close to Columbus and I'm not worried about any of the other 3 in terms of making it to the Big Tenwelve Championship game. But thanks for doing research for the driving distance. As far as commutors from Columbus, nothing some spike-strips couldn't fix.
Im curious to know how it could take longer from AA then East Lansing?
East Lansing is right by I-69, which runs straight down south to Indianapolis. From A2 you have to take I-94 for awhile until it runs into 69. Altogether it looks like it's slightly longer to go from here to Indy.
Michigan highway map:
from cbus to chicago, and yes, usually hit this ironic/irritating spot in Indy at about the 3 hour mark (taking a chance here with embedding a google street view picture):
Worst exit ever.
I imagine you need to keep the windows rolled up around there.
whose amenities are of concern are tv crews, sadly.
It has to be indoors. realistically. The last thing the Big Ten wants is for a 12-0 team to have to play (and lose) in a frigid, muddy slopfest outside. The BTCG is a mini-reward for the two division champions, and the league is not going to require them to brave the elements in December.
Would have been badass.
have a roof that can open?
Yes, but (at least for Colts games) they close it even if it's not snowing if it's fairly cold outside. I've been to games where it was nice outside for the time of year (in the 50s) and they still close it.
Isn't that because they have to make a decision 4-5 days in advance? A roof like that takes a long time to open/shut.
Given that I live an hour from Indy this news is EXCELLENT!
Glad that they didn't make the totally nonsensical decision of playing outside. How inane.
I'm very fine with this choice. Its an awesome stadium.
Can't you see michigan running onto this field?
Would have preferred Ford Field for the Michigan homefield advantage but Indy isn't a bad choice.
I could care less about indoors/outdoors, but what really does annoy me is the concept that only one city should be allowed to host the event. Sorry to let the Big Ten know, there are teams in 8 other states! Plus, it's not as if places like Ford Fields are "dumps." Indy's stadium might be newer and nicer, but Ford Field is relatively new and it would be great to host the game in Michigan. I just think a rotating location would be better. It could be every 2 years, etc. but I mean come on! A nice stadium shouldn't be the only reason for them to host the game