Google signs deal with WNBA to help champion women’s sports
Twenty-five WNBA games will be televised on ABC and ESPN in celebration of the league’s 25th season, with Google as the presenting sponsor.
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Bobby Unser, 3-time Indianapolis 500 winner, dies at 87
Unser was one of just 10 drivers to win the 500 at least three times, and he and Rick Mears were the only drivers to win the 500 in three different decades.
Indy Eleven reaches sports betting deal with BetRivers
The agreement provides for a sleeve logo on the Indy Eleven’s 2021 jerseys, along with sponsorship of the 30-minute postgame TV show following every home game broadcast.
Indy Eleven limiting first home game to season ticket holders
The team is set to host all 16 of its regular-season home games at IUPUI’s Michael A. Carroll Stadium this season after playing the past three seasons at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Table tennis startup aims for casual-player market
CounterStrike Table Tennis in Fishers is attempting to foster new interest in the niche sport by hooking players up with high quality paddles at affordable prices.
Indians allowed 25% Victory Field capacity in May, ink TV deal
The Indianapolis Indians this week announced separate deals that will put 35 of their games on TV and allow the team to play home games in May before a limited number of spectators.
NFL exploring changes to scouting combine, source says
The source, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the conversations are ongoing, said the league is evaluating all aspects of the combine, including the player experience.
IBJ Podcast: Why IU’s Mike Woodson hire is about much more than winning games
Mason King talks with IBJ reporter Anthony Schoettle about why IU Athletic Director Scott Dolson likely had fundraising in mind when he put together the Hoosiers’ basketball leadership team.
Woodson, Fife part of strategy to connect to disenfranchised IU alumni
While the new coach has less college experience and is a bit older than some might like, he connects to the school’s donor base and appears to be part of a bigger unifying and rebranding plan.
Spring League football to use Lucas Oil Stadium as game hub
The professional developmental football league, which is in its fifth year, will have eight teams and will use Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and Rice Stadium in Houston to host its games.
Sources: NCAA votes to dump requirement that transfers sit a year
The NCAA Division I Council voted Wednesday to change the long-standing rule that has often deterred players in high-profile sports from switching schools, two people with knowledge of the council’s decision told The Associated Press.
NCAA, broadcaster in contract dispute over COVID cancellation of 2020 March Madness
That case gets to the heart of much litigation that began in 2020: When COVID-19 leads to a contract being broken, what can be recovered and what must be forgiven?
IUPUI hires former star player Matt Crenshaw as head coach
Matt Crenshaw, a U.S. Navy veteran who hit the shot that sent IUPUI to its first and only NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament appearance, was hired as head coach of his alma mater Tuesday.
Indiana basketball legend Bobby ‘Slick’ Leonard dies at 88
Bobby “Slick” Leonard, who coached the Indiana Pacers to three American Basketball Association championships and served as the team’s color commentator for three decades, has died, according to several media sources.
Advocates call on NCAA to act in response to anti-trans sports laws
Conservative lawmakers in at least 28 states have introduced legislation to ban or limit transgender athletes from competing on teams or sports that align with their gender identity.
Castroneves starts getting acclimated to new team, color
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, who spent 21 seasons driving for Team Penske, was sporting new team colors at Thursday’s IndyCar test session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Indy hopes to capitalize on tournament successes
Throughout March Madness, tourism and sports leaders entertained dozens of prospective clients, pitching the city as a safe place for those groups to host their own big events.
NCAA might consider single site for part of future tourneys
NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt said the successful tournament held primarily in Indianapolis and exclusively in Indiana could create a late-round model for future tourneys.
Watch ‘The Rebound: Indy’s bounce back,’ a mini-documentary about the pandemic and the city’s hospitality industry
IBJ reporter Mickey Shuey, who has been covering the Indianapolis hospitality industry from the start of the pandemic the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, interviewed dozens of people in an effort to piece together how the city is working to emerge from the pandemic.
Counting the seconds: Timekeeper works 21 NCAA games (oh and Pacers games, too)
Randy Fishman had the best seat in the house for Monday night’s championship, located courtside and smack dab in the middle. Friends watching the game on television would have seen him just above the black line running across midcourt.