NCAA Tournament is so much more than wins and losses
When you talk about that body of experience [for Indianapolis], it makes this doable. It gives you an experience base that you can tap into, to pull things together.
Sports Business
Articles
Melina Kennedy: Early planning amid pandemic put Indy ahead of pack
It has been a year of uncertainty and pain. And while this basketball tournament brings a figurative new spring to Indiana, we also need to acknowledge the hard months that brought us here.
Duke pulls out of ACC tournament, ending NCAA tourney streak
The Blue Devils abruptly had to pull out of the tournament and end their season due to a positive COVID-19 test, ending their streak of 24 consecutive NCAA appearances that began in 1996.
Video: Hinkle set to host tournament games for first time in 80 years
IBJ spoke to Butler University President James Danko and Athletic Director Barry Collier about how this years tournament and the school’s back-to-back trips to the Final Four—intertwine.
State to host 138 college basketball games through next month
The state is expected to benefit from more than $140 million in economic impact and national exposure from the NCAA men’s basketball tournament alone, which will bring 67 games to Indianapolis, Bloomington and West Lafayette starting March 18.
NBA commissioner ‘optimistic’ about schedule, return of fans
Adam Silver expressed confidence Saturday that the worst of his league’s pandemic-related challenges, which included a four-month stoppage in play and billions in lost revenue, are in the past.
NCAA tournament will be no party for event venues
Other than a few facilities that will be COVID testing sites, team lounges or overflow areas, most event spaces that usually glean revenue from tournament gatherings could be left out in the cold.
Overtime basketball league to offer prep prospects six-figure deals
Players will lose their NCAA eligibility but are promised a minimum salary of at least $100,000 per year, full health care insurance coverage, and aree guaranteed up to $100,000 for college tuition should they end their pursuit of a pro basketball career.
Spectators to be allowed at Big Ten men’s, women’s tournaments in Indy
A limited number of spectators will be allowed to attend the Big Ten Conference’s men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in Indianapolis this month, the conference announced Thursday morning.
Pavilion, Hinkle Fieldhouse to host ancillary events on Final Four weekend
The State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships will be held at Hinkle Fieldhouse, along with a historic black colleges and universities all-star game.
Jeffrey Patchen: Sports legends make Indiana the cradle of basketball
It is a national passion that has been churning away across the country and is now culminating in the heartland—in a place where legends have pounded the hardwood, beat the buzzer and lovingly watched the ball kiss the ropes as it sliced through the net.
By opting out of video game, Notre Dame calls attention to NIL issue
Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said the school went public last week with its decision not to be included in EA Sports’ new college football video game to call attention to a major issue that has not been thoroughly addressed.
500 Festival again shifts Mini-Marathon to virtual event
The decision by the not-for-profit 500 Festival also applies to its 5-kilometer event. Both events still are set for May 8, albeit now in virtual formats.
IBJ Podcast: Restaurants rejoice in looser limits for March Madness
Host Mason King talked with Mike Cranfill, co-owner of The District Tap, and Mike Cunningham, founder and CEO of Cunningham Restaurant Group, which owns 35 restaurants with plans to open several more soon, about what the NCAA tournament will mean for them.
Tournament’s economic impact will turn on number of fans who come
Even after the NCAA said Feb. 19 that some spectators will be allowed at the games, local tourism officials and economists are still tempering their financial expectations.
NCAA reveals COVID-19 contingency plans for hoops tourneys
Under a contingency plan released Thursday, the top four teams left out of March Madness will serve as potential replacements for any teams that are unable to participate due to COVID-19 issues.
UPDATE: Olympics gymnastics coach kills himself after being charged
Gold medal-winning coach John Geddert, who was suspended by Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics, during the Larry Nassar scandal, took his own life Thursday after being charged with two dozen crimes, including forms of human trafficking.
NCAA tournament tests won’t be included in state’s public dashboard
The Indiana Department of Health told IBJ that the state’s COVID-19 testing data, which has been updated daily since the pandemic began almost a year ago, is limited to information on Indiana residents.
IBJ launches The Rebound site, email newsletter for NCAA coverage
You can also pre-register for IBJ’s NCAA bracket contest, where you can try to out-pick a number of local celebrities we’ll unveil in the coming weeks (including IBJ’s own “celebrities”—think Eight@8’s Mason King and CEO Nate Feltman).
Small labs try to nab testing work at big sports events
A huge event that kicks off next month is hanging like a plum: the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.