Earlier this week, the Noblesville Common Council approved a partnership agreement with Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) to create an 85,000-square-foot arena for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. The new arena will accommodate nearly 3,500 occupants.
The Fort Wayne Mad Ants, a professional basketball team in the NBA G-League, will call the new arena home next year.
Rick Fuson, CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, was grateful for the city’s approval of the partnership.
“The (NBA) G-League is world-class basketball, and PS&E is proud to bring that to Noblesville,” Fuson said.
The city of Noblesville committed $36.5 million toward constructing the new arena. In addition, PS&E has earmarked $5 million over ten years. PS&E will also secure an additional $5 million during this time.
Chris Jensen, the mayor of Noblesville, expressed excitement over the partnership.
“We are working with the Pacers and other partners on programming options for the arena on days it is not used by the Pacers,” Jensen said.
Noblesville plans to use the new arena for events, such as graduations, concerts and high school sporting games.
The Mad Ants have been a Fort Wayne staple since 2007. The name is a tribute to ‘Mad’ Anthony Wayne, whom the city is named after. They have garnered a loyal following of fans who have cheered them on for nearly a decade and a half.
Noblesville is slowly becoming a hub for many professional sports teams. Late last year, Indy Fuel began construction of a new arena in Fishers.
Due to the relocation, the Mad Ants’ name and mascot will be retired. The organizations will reveal the updated team identity before the start of the 2024-25 season.
Contact multi-media staff writer Noral Parham III at (317)-762-7846 or email at NoralP@IndyRecorder.com. Follow him on Twitter @NoralParham.
