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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The NCAA has found ways to add to the Final Four during each of its eight previous stops in Indianapolis.
The network is expected to expand proven Goodwill programs into new communities.
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.
Workers began installing the court and other components needed for the Final Four inside Lucas Oil Stadium early Friday.
The second-seeded Boilers built a seven-point halftime lead but couldn’t contain the Wildcats in the second half. The victory propels Arizona into the Final Four in Indianapolis.
The UConn bench erupted as Mullins, the 2025 Indiana Mr. Basketball winner, sunk the shot from well beyond the arc to make the score 73-72.
At the Final Four in Indianapolis, the third-seeded University of Illinois will pass for something resembling Cinderella in a field with two No. 1 seeds and a No. 2.
The former Indiana governor and president of Purdue University also addresses one of the biggest political, academic and economic debates of the last decade: What is the value of a college degree?
The 3,800-square-foot facility is expected to open in late May on the first floor of the Monon 46 residential apartment community.
The downtown La Quinta Inn on East Washington Street is advertising rooms at $609 per night for the weekend, and the Sleep Inn and Suites near 16 Tech has rooms at $814 per night.
While the Saturday and Monday games are the marquee ticketed events, Friday is something special: It is a gift to the community of a free, community-wide experience.
In a community full of fans who typically root for Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame or Butler, Mullins has suddenly turned Greenfield into a haven of UConn fans.
The 44-acre campus will span from 12th to 16th streets and from Capitol Avenue to Interstate 65 — approximately eight square blocks.
The mayor’s board selections include Mind Trust founder and Christel House International chief David Harris and charter school leaders Edward Rangel and Janet McNeal.
The startup plans to spend $500 million to build a data center on a 13.68-acre parcel at 2505 Sherman Drive.