Dale Neuburger: A peak behind the sports event curtain
Revelation: Not all sports events are problem-free, irrespective of the athlete or spectator perspective.
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Mike Lopresti: It isn’t Indiana’s year for basketball, despite the Big Dance
Only yesterday, the Big Ten was the baddest bunch in the land. Today, it has as many teams in the Sweet 16 as the Summit League.
Miley Cyrus to perform at Final Four
Cyrus will be featured in a special “Tribute to Frontline Heroes” performance between the first and second semifinal games on Saturday, April 3, organizers announced Friday.
NCAA tourney proof of narrowing talent gap in college hoops
The difference in a top-50 basketball player headed to Duke University or Kentucky and an unranked kid heading to Loyola Chicago might have felt like night and day 15 years ago. Now, the difference is negligible — if it exists at all.
NCAA hires law firm to assess gender equity at tourneys
Under sharp criticism during its marquee March Madness tournaments, the Indianapolis-based NCAA said Thursday it is hiring a law firm to review potential gender equity issues related to how it conducts its men’s and women’s championship events.
Pressure mounts on NCAA as House Dems demand answers over tourney disparities
Lawmakers raised questions about the organization’s role in fueling inequity in college sports, a sign that scrutiny of the Indianapolis-based NCAA is likely to expand beyond this month’s men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
Secondary brokers say ticket demand has been mixed, but Hinkle games are hot commodity
Interest in tickets to Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games in Indianapolis is generally outpacing the demand for tickets to earlier rounds. Tickets for Hinkle Fieldhouse games are seeing the strongest demand.
NCAA tournament early rounds draw 111,000-plus spectators
The figures, obtained by IBJ on Wednesday, show an average attendance of 2,180 people per game across the seven basketball courts at six venues. All venues limited crowd sizes because of the pandemic.
Concussions can be diagnosed through saliva test, researchers find
The groundbreaking finding raises the possibility that doctors and athletic trainers could rapidly determine whether someone suffered a concussion using an objective test, according to a peer-reviewed article published Tuesday.
NCAA’s Emmert agrees to review after more charges of inequity
Amid mounting pressure from players, coaches and administrators over differences between this month’s men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, NCAA President Mark Emmert on Tuesday wrote that he would be calling for “an independent review.”
Problem-gambling foes warn of sports-betting college deals
The National Council on Problem Gambling on Tuesday issued a set of recommendations for such deals that aim to reduce the danger of students developing a gambling problem.
In terms of chaos, this year’s Sweet 16 field is historic
The seed numbers of the 16 remaining teams add up to 94, the highest total since the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament expanded in 1985. Here’s how that stacks up against some previous years.
Area cultural attractions work to attract college basketball fans
Some local museums and cultural institutions say they saw a bump in visitation over the weekend related to March Madness. Meanwhile, the attractions are playing up their basketball connections in a bid to attract visitors.
Roger Penske bullish on large crowd for Indianapolis 500
There will be fans at this year’s Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske said Monday, but how many remains a moving target based on COVID-19 restrictions. More than 170,000 tickets already have been sold for the May 30 race, he said.
John Thompson: Sports technology a strategic opportunity for Indiana
There are strategic elements in place today, including a 5G lab in downtown Indianapolis and the Indy Autonomous Challenge scheduled at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this year.
UPDATE: VCU pulled from tournament because of COVID-19 protocols
The NCAA announced the cancellation—officially declaring a “no contest”—about three hours before Virginia Commonwealth University was scheduled to tip off against Oregon in the West Region.
Fans celebrate return of NCAA tournament, despite its smaller scale
Capacity was limited to no more than 25% and bands and cheerleaders were noticeably absent. Still, most of the elements that make the NCAA Tournament America’s most beloved sporting event were on display Friday in the games played around central Indiana.
NCAA apologizes to women’s teams for weight room inequities
NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt vowed to do better during a zoom call Friday morning, a day after photos showed the difference between the weight rooms at the two tournaments.
The inside story: How Indianapolis landed the NCAA headquarters
A two-year courtship that pitted Indianapolis against some of the largest U.S. cities culminated in the May 1997 announcement that Indianapolis had snagged the headquarters.
Financing the pitch: Corporations pony up to help Indy land sports events
What’s in it for the individuals, organizations and companies that donate money to the efforts? Not typically tickets or advertising or big shout-outs. It’s civic pride more than anything else.