The Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments are returning to Indianapolis in March, and there will be many activities during the two weeks of competition at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis. The women’s tournament will be played in Indianapolis for the 19th time from March 2-6, and the men’s tournament will return for the 10th time from March 9-13.
A second public allotment of all-session tickets for the men’s tournament was recently made available, and single-session tickets for the women’s tournament were made available today. Tickets may be purchased at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse box office, Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-745-3000.
Fan events include the Big Ten Thinks Pink Day, Big Ten Career Expo, the Big Ten Hoops Day 5K and pep rallies for both the Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Championship Games. Each Big Ten school also will be paired with a local restaurant for both tournament weeks.
The 7th Big Ten Thinks Pink promotion will take place for the semifinals of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament. A $1 donation will be made to the Pink Ribbon Connection for every general ticket purchased for the Saturday session and donation buckets will be placed in the Bankers Life Fieldhouse Entry Pavilion that day. The Pink Ribbon Connection is a single point of contact in central Indiana for information and resources for those with breast cancer. More information is available at www.PinkRibbonConnection.org.
A free basketball clinic for girls will be offered on Saturday, March 5, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Girls in fourth through eighth grades are invited to participate from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Clinic participants receive a complimentary ticket for the semifinals session games after the clinic, a clinic T-shirt, and a coupon for a complimentary snack and drink. Only 25 spots remain for the clinics.
The Big Ten Career Expo will return to Indianapolis on Thursday, March 10, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Career Expo will take place at historic Union Station in downtown Indianapolis and is an opportunity for top-tier employers to meet students and alumni from the 14 Big Ten Conference universities who are interested in hiring for full-time or internship positions. Registration for the Career Expo is free for all Big Ten students and alumni at www.BigTenCareerExpo.com.
The B1G Hoops Day 5K run is scheduled for Saturday, March 12, at 8 a.m. and will start from Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Registration for the B1G Ten Hoops Day 5K is $30 in advance by signing up online at www.tuxbro.com. Registration is $35 on-site the day of the event. The 3.1-mile run/walk starts and finishes in front of Bankers Life Fieldhouse and passes by a number of downtown attractions. Participants are encouraged to display their favorite Big Ten University’s colors with T-shirts, face paint, flags and more. The first 2,000 registrants will receive a long-sleeve event T-shirt.
Hoops Day 5K participants will be joined by 100 students who are participating in the Marathon in 51 Days program. About 1,000 fifth through eighth grade students from Indianapolis schools are running a half-mile five days each week for 10 weeks leading to the B1G Hoops Day 5K. By then, they will have run 25 miles each. These 100 students will run in the final 1.2 miles in the Hoops Day 5K to complete their full marathon.
VIP Ticket Packages are currently available for the men’s and women’s tournaments. The packages include one all-session ticket for both tournaments as well access to hospitality during the games, parking and other amenities.
The Big Ten Championship Game Pep Rallies will bring fans together on the championship Sunday of both tournaments. The women’s pep rally will be Sunday, March 6, at 5 p.m. in the Bankers Life Fieldhouse Entry Pavilion. The pep rally will include a Battle of the Pep Bands, free popcorn and soft drinks, games, various kids activities, and a performance by halftime act Simon Sez. The men’s pep rally will take place on Sunday, March 13, at noon at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse Ober Lot. The rally will include a live DJ, Battle of the Pep Bands, kids activities and a celebrity free throw shooting contest.
Big Ten Restaurant Pairings. It’s become a tradition that each member school in the conference is paired with a downtown Indianapolis restaurant. The gathering spots are a great location for alumni and fans during the two weeks of the tournament.
· Illinois – The Ram Restaurant & Brewery
· Nebraska – Granite City
· Penn State – Harry & Izzy’s
· Purdue – Scotty’s Brewhouse
· Wisconsin – Cadillac Ranch
· Indiana – Kilroy’s Bar & Grill
· Ohio State – Champps
· Michigan – O’Reilly’s Irish Bar and Restaurant
· Michigan State – Slippery Noodle Inn
· Iowa – Indianapolis Colts Grille
· Northwestern – Champions
· Minnesota – Hard Rock Café
· Maryland – Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar
· Rutgers – Ike and Jonesy’s
