As a result, NCAA staff are in preliminary talks with the State of Indiana and the city of Indianapolis to potentially host the 68-team tournament around the metropolitan area during the coordinated dates in March and April. Indianapolis was already slated to host the Men’s Final Four from April 3-5, 2021.
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Very obviously the way to do it. Given that it’s the NCAA, it wasn’t a given that the obvious thing would happen though lol. And, having gone to several conventions in Indianapolis right downtown, it’s a very good location for things IMO.
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Seems like a no brainer to me, but happy they are stating this as early as they are.
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I’m interested in what gyms they plan on playing in. You’ve got Lucas Oil, Bankers Life, IUPUI, and what else?
Butler? It’s fairly close.
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Don’t forget about Hinkle.
I’m sure there are other sites that can be used as well. Convention center, etc.
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Damn, LCA in Detroit was going to be hosting opening weekend games. Oh well
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Hoping all the sites get pushed back a year, so we can play in LCA as a top 2 seed next year.
I doubt that happens because dates are already announced so far in advance. Cities are already planning for things in 2022 I’d imagine.
Don’t think it is a coincidence that the “next schedule date” is listed for each city.
South Bend
I don’t think you need 8 really. I think you probably only need 5 (maybe 6?) to keep the tv schedule the same as it is usually.
This will probably give the NCAA the ability to take over entire hotels for teams, officials, TV crews and tournament staff only to keep risk of exposure low. It makes a ton of sense.
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Gotta have the coach of some 15 seed bust out the tape measure at their first practice at Hinkle and show his team that the rims are 10 feet high.
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I’m going to partially disagree here. I agree with reducing the host locations, but I disagree with the decision process to host all games in one city … especially Indy.
Hotel capacity becomes an issue. And if teams and officials and broadcast crews are crammed into 5 or 6 hotels and one team catches the virus, too easy to spread through a hotel to multiple other teams.
Even using 2 locations — one east, one west — breaks up the clutter a lot. And gives a ton more flexibility with hotel options.
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Taking 64 teams into 1 bubble with no buffer period, of, say, two weeks where players are tested daily is literally not a bubble - it is a guarantee of taking Covid inside “the bubble”.
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Basketball teams take like 20 rooms (I work in hotels sports sales, this is my job)
Hotel capacity is absolutely not a problem provided teams are willing to waive their standard requirement of not sharing a hotel with another team.
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Playing an NCAA tournament game in Hinkle? That would be awesome! Although sad if there are no fans allowed in…
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