The huge upset handed the Big Ten Conference its fourth loss in the tournament on the way to six by the end of Sunday. The game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse was among the first in a tournament that has seen a host of upsets in the first round.
Here’s a selection of photos from first round games at Mackey Arena at Purdue, Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall at Indiana University, Hinkle Fieldhouse at Butler, Indiana Farmers Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium.
Nearly 600 visual artists, musicians, dancers, spoken-word artists and other creative-industry professionals have been employed to turn downtown into a sidewalk art gallery and outdoor cultural corridor connecting NCAA game sites to a showcase of 50 artworks and more than 250 live performances.
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.
One of the biggest challenges for sports bars like Kilroys and The District Tap is that most people are sticking around for multiple games, rather than leaving after they finish eating, restaurateurs said.
There’s a saying about successful college athletic programs: “They don’t rebuild, they reload.” After a year of unprecedented economic disruption and hardship, Indianapolis is well-positioned to both rebuild from COVID and reload with talent to drive our economy forward.
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.
Purdue was the third Big Ten team out of the nation-leading nine it placed in the tournament to exit before the weekend.
Even with most of the seats empty, the roar of fans could be heard outside Hinkle Fieldhouse on Friday afternoon as Virginia Tech hit a three-pointer in the final seconds to send the game into overtime.
The assignment is one he’s expressed interest in since the NCAA in January announced the entirety of the NCAA Tournament would be played in central Indiana.
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.
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.
The changes the COVID-19 virus has forced upon the sports world involve not only the way games have been played and attended but also how they’ve been covered by the media.
The far-west-side club will also receive new basketballs and backpacks full of school supplies and Degree deodorant and antiperspirant products.
The Indianapolis Colts are among the 50 companies that have donated money to the Indy Championships Fund to help bring three huge sports events to Indianapolis: the NCAA Tournament underway now, the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2022 and the NBA All-Star Game in 2024. But the Colts have done more than donate. Pete Ward, the team’s chief operating officer, is on the fund’s board as well as the board of the Indiana Sports Corp., which is coordinating the effort.
Wondering what other sports-related activities you can do here? The answer is plenty.
Social isolation effects will be compounded by an isolation bubble with a reduced number of fans, restricted zones of access and restricted contact with family, friends and spectators.
“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.
Strict limits on crowd sizes in Mackey Arena at Purdue University for the NCAA tourney will dampen the tourism impact, but the games are still the biggest events to hit the West Lafayette area since the pandemic started.
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.
