2024 is just the beginning of March Madness in Indianapolis; more games ahead
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Sports Corp. predicted the six men’s basketball games that Indianapolis will host in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament will generate $14 million for the city.
Hosting six March Madness games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse means eight teams and their fans will be in Indianapolis spending money and helping the economy.
“We’re expecting capacity crowds for every single game, which is fantastic,” said Dan Gliot, the senior market and communications director for Indiana Sports Corp.
The Purdue Boilermakers will taken on the Grambling State Tigers at 7:25 p.m. Friday.
Similar to the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 18, plenty of things to do will be available, even for visitors who didn’t get tickets to the NCAA games.
“We’re actually activating Bicentennial Unity Plaza (outside Gainbridge Fieldhouse) for the first time for our fan zone, so if you don’t have a ticket, you can come for free and you can experience a lot of activations,” Gliot said. “You can come play knockout on the court.”
The energy in the area on Thursday was high although the games will start Friday.
“Purdue fans in town. Like I said, Milwaukee fans, Western Kentucky fans, but also it’s really exciting because we have teams from TCU and Colorado that are going to be coming in, and that may be (their) first time here in Indianapolis and they get to experience it for the first time,” Gliot said. “There’s going to be a ton of buzz.”
The year 2024 is just the start for Indianapolis interaction with March Madness.
“Really, it’s kind of a build-up of the next three years of college basketball in this city. We have first and second rounds this year,” Gliot said. “We have a regional, which is the Sweet Sixteen and the Elite Eight next year, and then, in 2026, we’re preparing for the Men’s Final Four in Lucas Oil Stadium. That doesn’t even count the women’s Final Four coming in ’28 and then the men’s in ’29, so it’s really a building up of some awesome college basketball events coming to Indy over the next couple of years.”
The NCAA is headquartered in Indianapolis.