MARCH 27-APRIL 2, 2026
Indianapolis is poised to add another line in its record book next weekend when it hosts the men’s NCAA Final Four and the Division II, Division III and National Invitation Tournament championship games. This week’s paper includes a dedicated section for the Final Four titled “The Tip-Off,” packed with stories and features about all of the events and the people who are making them happen.
Front PageBack to Top
Indy keeps elevating Final Four experience
The NCAA has found ways to add to the Final Four during each of its eight previous stops in Indianapolis.
Read More
Stakeholders hope study on capping interstate sparks interest, action
Nonpartisan advocacy organization Rethink Coalition and Indy Chamber have proposed a massive, $506.4 million plan that would “cap” the interstate from Virginia Avenue to Fletcher Avenue with developable land.
Read More
Q&A: Western wear designer Atwood finds celebrity clients suit him well
At the Eiteljorg, “Cowboy Couture: The Fashion of Jerry Lee Atwood” will offer visitors a look at suits commissioned by other musicians and non-celebrity customers of Union Western Clothing, the company co-founded by Atwood and vintage wardrobe collector Joe David Walters.
Read MoreTop StoriesBack to Top
Iran conflict raises cyberattack risk, experts say
International conflicts in the physical world can lead to a spike in cyberattacks — both on government entities and on private companies that don’t necessarily have any connection to the conflict itself.
Read More
Experienced professionals plan life’s next steps with support of new women’s group
Twenty-five women leaders across business, health care, philanthropy, arts and the public service sectors will begin gathering to help one another navigate transition, reinvention and legacy as part of The Next Chapter.
Read More
Mark Montieth: Indy’s stalwart minor league club promises mix of nostalgia amid brand refresh
The Indians have spent the past few years working on these changes, conducting personal surveys with focus groups and online to measure public opinion on a variety of topics. Foremost among them was whether to keep a nickname that has fallen out of favor in some places.
Read More
Westfield City Council OKs 765-acre residential development
A development plan that calls for nearly 2,000 homes and a mixed-use village was narrowly approved Monday night by the Westfield City Council.
Read More
UPDATE: Simon Property Group CEO David Simon dies after battle with cancer
His son, Eli Simon, will take over the company that was founded by David Simon’s father and uncle.
Read More
Clark Foundation, Lilly to partner on new downtown basketball court
Plans call for the basketball court to be open to the public as part of a pocket park concept that will include some new trees and other landscaping.
Read More
Hospitality startup has bold plans for motorsports-themed hotels in central Indiana
Russell Louderback, a former White Lodging executive and an adviser to the Signia hotel downtown, is advising the new company on the plans.
Read MoreFocusBack to Top
Goodwill Legacy Group is latest step in local nonprofit’s growth
The network is expected to expand proven Goodwill programs into new communities.
Read MoreOpinionBack to Top
Editorial: Putting six-figure cap on Social Security benefits a good step
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a group co-chaired by former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, released a white paper this week calling for a “six-figure limit for Social Security” as part of an effort to keep the social safety net alive.
Read More
Mitch Frazier: Governor will keynote 9 Innovate Indiana events
The series will provide a forum for business and community leaders, local elected officials, academic leaders, entrepreneurs and investors to come together for candid discussions about the opportunities to fuel Indiana’s economic growth.
Read MoreEric Holcomb and Teresa Lubbers: America at 250: How will you put citizenship to work?
At Sagamore Institute, we champion the essential role of everyday citizens in our democracy through our solution-oriented research and with events that promote civic engagement as well as educational and economic opportunity.
Read MoreJosh Levi and Tom Dermody: Crossroads of America should embrace data centers
When data centers make investments in Indiana, they’re committing to the communities where they operate for the long haul. This means consistent, high-paying jobs — many of which don’t require a traditional four-year degree.
Read MoreMickey Kim: Investors caught between AI utopia and doom loop
History suggests we consistently underestimate the economy’s ability to create new categories of jobs when automation displaces old ones.
Read MoreCharlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow: Here’s why your best arguments still don’t win the room
When people feel heard, their resistance softens. This is the paradox of influence. The fastest way to persuade someone is often trying to understand them.
Read MoreCecil Bohanon and John Horowitz: To win the day, you need to know which game you are playing
Game theory models human interaction as a game — and the prisoner’s dilemma is a well-known game of conflict and cooperation.
Read MoreIn BriefBack to Top
Post Malone joins lineup of free Final Four concerts
Multi-genre hitmaker Post Malone will headline the closing night of the March Madness Music Festival at American Legion Mall.
Read More
The Besties’ Table breakfast and brunch restaurant to open near UIndy
Chef Tyler Williams will open the Besties’ Table Saturday in a building previously occupied by restaurants Jailbird and Open Kitchen.
Read MoreSpecial SectionsBack to Top
March mastermind: JoAn Scott has orchestrated 13 years of college basketball’s biggest event
“She has taken the Final Four to a new level and made it part of our culture,” Indiana Sports Corp. President Patrick Talty said. “It’s on people’s bucket list to go to the Final Four, and that’s in part due to her planning and making that event bigger and better than it was.”
Read More
Site-control volunteers give Indianapolis an edge when hosting big sports events
Fans may not notice the work of the 20 people involved, but the NCAA does. It has asked other cities hosting games to try a similar approach.
Read MoreVolunteers are key to Indianapolis pulling off the Final Four
About 1,000 volunteers will come together to pull off an epic weekend of college sports in Indianapolis when the city hosts the Division I, II, III and NIT men’s basketball championships. IBJ talked with four of them.
Read More
From renewable energy to recycled pop bottles, Final Four aims to minimize environmental impact
The 2026 Men’s Final Four Sustainability Plan is a collaboration between the NCAA, Indiana Sports Corp., environmental groups, corporate partners and student researchers to max out the event’s carbon-reduction efforts and recycling programs.
Read More
From logistics to journalism, Indy students are helping to boost the Final Four
From helping pack supplies used throughout the NCAA tournament to guiding thousands of visitors through downtown during Final Four weekend, students will play dozens of roles tied to college basketball’s biggest event.
Read More
50 years later, IU’s undefeated champions still unmatched
The members of the Indiana University team that won the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 1976 with a 32-0 record are experiencing a revival as the NCAA Final Four approaches.
Read MoreIn this Final Four matchup, analytics reach another level
The Men’s Final Four Analytics Challenge enables Hoosier undergraduate and graduate students to apply data science and machine learning to real-world challenges.
Read More
5 days of Final Four events include concerts, festivals
Free and low-cost options include the three-day March Madness Music Festival at American Legion Mall, the Men’s Final Four Fan Fest at the Indiana Convention Center, and a coffee and chocolate festival at the Stutz.
Read More
Nate Feltman: Indy’s ninth Final Four is another showcase for the city
When Patrick Talty, president of the Indiana Sports Corp., called me three years ago with the opportunity to serve as co-chair of this year’s Final Four Local Organizing Committee, I jumped at the chance.
Read MoreFinal Four legacy project revitalizes Christian Park Family Center on city’s east side
The center, which has been closed for construction, will resume operations with a dedication ceremony on April 2.
Read More
IBJ Media, NCAA and Indiana Sports Corp. name 10 for Be Better Awards
The late Jim Morris frequently challenged himself and those around him to “be better,” and the award seeks to recognize those in Indianapolis who embrace his dedication to faith, family, friends, community and vocation.
Read More
Be Better awards: Mamon Powers III
Mamon Powers is a founding board member of Business Equity for Indy and serves on the boards and executive committees of the Indianapolis Airport Authority, Indy Chamber and Indiana Chamber.
Read More
Be Better awards: Akilah Darden
Akilah Darden has been instrumental in helping to increase both female and minority participation in the construction industry by developing an award-winning, industry-accredited Construction Management Masterclass.
Read More
Be Better awards: Samantha Douglas
Samantha Douglas, 36, is deeply committed to making the residents of her neighborhood feel valued and empowered. A lifelong east-side resident, she was instrumental in advancing the Far Eastside Quality of Life Plan, centered around efforts to improve neighborhood safety, access to resources and community pride.
Read More
Be Better awards: Erin Drake
Erin Drake guides Browning Real Estate Partners’s philanthropic investments. “We are not just building structures,” Drake said. “We are building communities.”
Read More
Be Better awards: Seth Catron
When it comes to philanthropy, Seth Catron, 42, isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. Through his own F.C. Tucker Co. team, Catron Property Group, he’s invested lots of time, sweat and resources with a grab bag of local charities primarily dedicated to helping create better public spaces in Marion County.
Read More
Be Better awards: Tom Hanley
Hanley is founder and CEO of Nine 13 Inc., an Indianapolis-based nonprofit that promotes health, wellness and exercise for K-12 students. One of its most high-profile projects is Kids Building Bikes, in which participants learn mechanical skills and STEM concepts by constructing their own bicycles.
Read More
Be Better awards: Charles T. Richardson
Charlie T. Richardson describes his role in retirement (and even before) as “being a civic leadership spark plug and pusher/puller/prodder/connecter.”
Read More
Be Better awards: Miriam Acevedo Davis
Miriam Acevedo Davis has helmed La Plaza, Indianapolis’ largest and oldest Latino-serving nonprofit, since 2004. And over the years, Davis has served with myriad local and national organizations, including the Teach for America Advisory Board, The Mind Trust and the Indiana Sports Corp.
Read More
Be Better awards: Marla Taylor
“Serving our community is such a foundational part of my life that I’ve been lucky enough to build a business and my entire career around it,” Marla Taylor says. Taylor Advising’s lengthy client roster includes the Damien Center; Firefly Children & Family Alliance and the United Way of Central Indiana.
Read More
Be Better awards: Blake Roebuck
Since completing the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership program in 2019, Blake Roebuck’s community involvement has focused on civic empowerment, economic development through sport, and racial equity through financial literacy.
Read More