IUPUI to move men’s hoops to fairgrounds Coliseum

The IUPUI men’s basketball program will begin hosting its home games in the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum in its 2014-15 season, after the facility undergoes a 22-month, $63 million renovation.

School and fairgrounds officials announced the five-year deal Thursday at the Coliseum.

"This is truly coming back to the future," said IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz, noting that IUPUI played in the Coliseum in the 1970s. "This is a huge step forward for our program."

IUPUI called the Coliseum home intermittently between 1975 and 1979. The Div. I team currently plays its games in the IUPUI Gymnasium, nicknamed The Jungle. Located at 901 W. New York St., the gym seats about 1,215.

Renovation of the 74-year-old Coliseum began last year and is expected to end in mid-2014. Upon completion, the Coliseum will seat 6,841 guests for basketball and include fully renovated locker rooms, a suspended state-of-the-art ribbon video board, and hospitality options throughout fully updated concourses.

IUPUI will have a team store in the Coliseum, providing another revenue stream for the fairgrounds and the athletic program. The school also will have the option of playing some women's basketball games at the Coliseum.