NCAA games return spotlight to venerable Hinkle Fieldhouse
“Hoosiers” made Hinkle Fieldhouse famous by Hollywood standards, but in the college basketball world, the home court for Butler University basketball was already a star.
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NFL announces new TV, streaming deals worth more than $110 billion
The NFL completed a new set of lucrative television and streaming deals Thursday that solidify the sport’s status as the most valuable property in television and are expected to result in a 17-game season being put into effect this fall.
Weighty issue: Inequity raised in women’s, men’s hoops tourneys
The teams had barely landed in Texas when complaints of unequal treatment in the women’s and men’s NCAA basketball tournaments roared over social media posts.
NCAA leader says he supports players’ rights to express demands for compensation
NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt responded to athletes’ renewed demands for compensation Thursday by saying he supports and encourages their right to free speech within the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament’s rules.
Legislation to extend timeline for Indy Eleven stadium heads to governor
The Indiana House on Thursday voted 83-6 to approve Senate Bill 385, which adds two years to a 2019 bill that had called for a new special tax district—known as a professional sports development area, or PSDA—to be established in Marion County by mid-2022.
From Ethiopia to Indy, Lucas Oil Stadium chef set for Madness
If you picture hotdogs and popcorn when you think about stadium food, meet Chef Shimelis Adem, who’s using local ingredients to create an Indiana-focused menu for NCAA games. On the list: Midwestern Madness Pork Chop Sandwich, Indiana Whiskey Sour Pork Wings and a Half-Pound Bracket Burger.
Athletes in Indy endure lockdown with games, naps, trips to Victory Field
This is life at a basketball tournament being played in a pandemic. The unspoken message: If players came to Indianapolis hoping for fun and games, they are not in the right place—at least not until tip-off.
Butler University’s pitch to Tony Hinkle changed basketball history
Tony Hinkle left behind a chance to play for the 1921 and 1922 World Series baseball champions, a team that won four consecutive pennants. All he did at Butler instead was change the sport of basketball—forever.
NCAA players push for compensation reform on eve of March Madness
Waiting in Indianapolis for the tournament to start, some college basketball stars on Wednesday tweeted #NotNCAAProperty as a reference to the ongoing fight to earn money for things like sponsorship deals, online endorsement and personal appearances.
Mario Rodriguez: IND among first to welcome March Madness fans with Hoosier hospitality
From the moment fans land in Indianapolis, there’s no denying the tournament’s excitement—with prominent March Madness signage placed throughout the terminal, pop-up retail shops with apparel and memorabilia, local artwork and live musicians. It’s genuinely a pre-game to the experience in downtown Indy and throughout the host sites.
How the NCAA tournament built its ‘bubble’ in Indianapolis
The 68-team men’s tournament, which starts Thursday, is usually staged in 14 cities across the country. Here’s how Indianapolis plans to pull off the whole thing all by itself.
Indiana’s basketball coaching legacy looms large across America
Hinkle, Wooden, Knight and Keady form the Mount Rushmore of basketball innovation in Indiana, where successful coaches have spent more than a century testing novel concepts, breaking barriers and polishing philosophies before introducing them to America.
Six NCAA tourney referees sent home after one tests positive for COVID-19
The NCAA said only one of the officials tested positive for the virus, but the other five were “identified as exposure risks due to prolonged close contact.”
With NIL reform in limbo, NCAA heading toward busy June
Despite the current gridlock, NCAA President Mark Emmert said he is still hopeful the NCAA will have uniform national name, image and likeness rules in place before the start of next football season.
Basketball temples in Indiana taking center stage at tourney
Six of the arenas that helped create Indiana’s basketball legacy will go on full display when the NCAA Tournament tips off later this week.
Backup plan: NCAA tourney standbys not expecting a call
Although the University of Louisville is the first alternate to fill an open spot in the NCAA Tournament, Coach Chris Mack isn’t optimistic. Meanwhile, potential replacement squads Colorado State, Saint Louis and Mississippi are prepared to play in the National Invitation Tournament.
Indiana providing $15 Uber, Lyft credits in six cities
The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute says its Sober Ride Indiana pilot program will provide ride credits to the first 10,000 total rides through April 5. The program coincides with St. Patrick’s Day and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
UPDATE: IU fires basketball coach Miller, raises money for big buyout
Athletic Director Scott Dolson said Monday afternoon that the university had secured “private philanthropic funding … for all transition costs and obligations related to the change in leadership.” That’s expected to include a $10.3 million buyout clause in Miller’s contract.
Update: Dozens of teams already in town as last-minute tourney prep falls into place
Teams must undergo a quarantine and testing period when they arrive in Indianapolis—and no one from the schools was allowed to make the trip without seven consecutive days of negative tests.
IBJ Podcast: The NCAA has 850 million reasons to love its deal with CBS and Turner Sports
IBJ columnist and investigative reporter Greg Andrews explains why the rights to March Madness are so valuable even as the media landscape changes quickly. And he tells host Mason King why it’s unlikely that the NCAA or its broadcast partners will want to renegotiate the deal—which runs through 2032.