The Hoosier State is always a great place for hoops, in the stadium and at the great sports bars and breweries in Indianapolis
March Madness is amount to the Hoosier State , and perhaps no blank space is substantially positioned to host an influx of hoops fans . Indianapolis went all out toland the Super Bowl in February of 2012,and the recollective - term benefits have been a boon to the urban center . hotel were built , eatery arrived , and ostensibly no one has left since ; the Circle City is now a hub — maybethehub — for major American sporting events .
It ’s soft to get to , even easy to get around , and we do n’t need to cue basketball rooter ofjust how passionate this metropolis and state are about the mutant . When the NCAA had to put together the first men ’s basketball tourney after the start of the pandemic , it settle to put every squad in one metropolis , and that metropolis was Indianapolis .
So it only makes sense thatLucas Oil Stadium is back host again , this metre the Sweet 16 ( March 28 ) and Elite 8 ( March 30 ) round , the last stair before the Final Four in San Antonio . Where should you stay ? What should you do ? We have you wrap up here at Thrillist .
Photo by Brenda Staples Photography
How do I get tickets?
The good news for phratry who ca n’t resist basketball being played in football venue is thatLucas Oil Stadium is only have half of the seats filledfor the regional , meaning this will resemble more of a traditional basketball surround ( where you may actually see the action on the court ) . The not - so - good news is that because of the reduced content , it ’s not exactly cheap to get in the door . Still , deals can be had . The low price onTicketmasterfor Friday ’s two Sweet 16 games are around $ 200 apiece ( before fee ) , whereasGametime($180),SeatGeek($184),VividSeats($186 ) andStubHub($189 ) currently have lower damage for that round .
Get - in cost for Sunday ’s elect 8 round of golf are somewhat cheaper on all of the secondary markets but high on Ticketmaster ( $ 225 ) . But you only get one plot as opposed to the two you ’ll get to see on Friday . You could buy slate packages for both turn Friday and Sunday , but there is no real savings by doing so . And historically in tournaments like these , a raft of fans purchase tickets for just one round , then expect to purchase chintzy ticket off fans from losing teams for the next round . If this is your approach , keep an eye on fans in losing squad ’ gear wheel as they head for the exits — or outside the arena , if you have n’t gone in yet — and estimate their appetite . betting odds are several will be walking billboards of dejection , willing to betray . ( If they ’re not already say as much to passersby . )
How should I get there? How do I get around?
Indianapolis International Airportis one of the promiscuous big - metropolis airports to navigate . Likewise , downtown Indianapolis is one of the easiest big cities to pilot by metrical foot . So if you do opt to fly , waive renting a car . It ’s a 15 - 20 - minute rideshare trip from the airdrome to downtown . Just head to the first floor of the terminal garage and look for the signs toward the “ Ground Transportation Center . ”
There ’s askywalk that plug in most of the metropolis ’s building , but as long as it ’s not freeze outside , you should enjoy walking outdoors , where hotel , restaurants , and bars are aplenty . In such a small city with a unique centering on one giant event , you never know who you might move into , be it a friend , renown jock or alum who ’s in town . Soak it all in ; most cities hosting NCAA regionals are n’t nearly as compact as Indy is .
What else should I know about the venue?
The aforementioned skywalk connects the JW Marriott to Lucas Oil Stadium , but that has proven to be more perplexing at time than simply walking outdoors , as there are different signs and security points of entry depending on where you are pose , if you are record through a press or VIP entranceway , etc . Assuming there ’s not a blizzard or rainstorm outside , stick to the open when getting to the construction . Forgo motor and parking if you could . ( And if you ’re staying downtown , you dead can . )
Lucas Oil Stadiumis the home of theIndianapolis Colts . It opened in 2008 , replace the RCA Dome , and there ’s astatue of picture Peyton Manningthat you should n’t miss before point into the construction ( it ’s in the shopping mall on the north final stage ) . In addition to Super Bowl XLVI , the annual NFL Scouting Combine and the 2022 College Football Playoff title game , the locus — which remains as forward-looking as ever — regularly host the Big Ten football title , concerts , major in high spirits school event ( football game , marching ring final exam ) , and , most importantly for your purposes , basketball . The sports stadium has hosted three men ’s Final Fours and is set to host the 2026 Final Four , too . Lucas Oil Stadium also trace headlines last summer , as it host U.S. swim Olympic trials , the first time that event had ever been host at an NFL stadium .
Basketball, bracket and betting
The game happening in Indy are full of intrigue . You should pityNo . 1 seed Houston and No . 2 seed Tennessee . The Cougars and Volunteers work all time of year for these favourable seeds to have a smoother path to the Final Four . ButHouston will confront No . 4 seed Purdue , the defending national runner - up , and a schooling that will likely have a bombastic detail at Lucas Oil Stadium , find out as though it ’s just an hr and change away from campus . Tennessee has no better chance , face No . 3 seed Kentucky , whose campus sits less than three hours from Indianapolis , and whose sports fan base journey like no other . Also keep in idea that the Wildcats drum the Vols doubly already this time of year in SEC play .
Then again , the road never bothered the Cougs anyway . Houston is 10 - 0 on the route this season , as the program ’s flair of play jaunt well . That ’s a big cause why I pick Kelvin Sampson ’s squad to win it all at the start of this tournament , a run that would give the 69 - yr - older coach his first national championship . Houston open as a 7.5 - point favorite against Purdue(per FanDuel ) , while the oddsmakers require Tennessee to retaliate those two earlier passing to Kentucky , making the Vols 4.5 - percentage point favorites .
A fun fact about this quaternary ? Three of the private instructor have been to Final Fours , but none has won a national title . And the one autobus who has n’t been to the Final Four — Kentucky ’s Mark Pope — win a home championship as a police chief with the Wildcats in 1996 .
Photo by Brenda Staples Photography
Other places to eat (and watch)
High Velocity , the sports bar site inside the J.W. Marriott , is often the place to be to ascertain secret plan in communal configurations with traveling rooter , given its localisation , size of it and vast turn of goggle box . It ’s open for breakfast , tiffin and dinner , and it has all of your cake favorites at a high quality — wings , Philly cheesesteak , fish and Saratoga chip , and more .
It is far from the only option , though . If you merely walk East from there on either Washington St. or Maryland St. , you are bound to stumble across any number of position to eat and keep an eye on games . Ten Hands Social Bar and Eatery , inside the Westin Indianapolis , is always merry , and it might actually be an easier target destination , give the abundance of foot dealings elsewhere .
Several chains ( Ruth ’s Chris , Yardhouse , PunchBowl Social , Brothers ) surround nearbyGainbridge Fieldhouse(home of the NBA ’s Pacers and WNBA ’s Fever ) , and even the famousSt . Elmo ’s Steakhouse(get the huge shrimp cocktail ! ) offers a big environment for determine games . Do n’t sleep on nearbyHarry and Izzy’sfor a great meal as well ( rank your favorite cut of steak and you ca n’t go wrong ) , and it is much easier to get a board there than at St. Elmo ’s .
Photo by Scott Crone
For breakfast , hit upCafe Patachoufor french pledge and excellent chilequiles – be sure to get there early on . And , in addition to having the best pastrami sandwich in this part of the country , Shapiro’soffers breakfast pastry , bagels and dozens of other swell food for thought item that you should n’t be ashamed to eat before 9 am . It ’s about a mile from the heart of downtown , so you ’ll need to rideshare there , but it ’s well deserving it . How else do you explain the delicatessen being open for 120 year ?
Other must-dos
If you ’re that much of a basketball hoop head — and if you ’re traveling to March Madness , chances are you might be one — you should go to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on the Saturday between the NCAA game for theIndiana high school boys body politic backup . If you stay an extra day or two , thePacers are playing the king the following night . And if you ’re feeling adventuresome and desire to take in basketball history , take hold of a 15 - minute drive toButler University’scampus and take a look at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse , of “ Hoosiers ” fame .
Non - sports must - dos includeSun King Brewery , where you may book a tour in advance if you ’ve got a large radical . You ’ll feel great local beer and Mexican fare here fromLa Margarita(try the nachos ) . The brewery distance is vast , is just east of BankersLife Fieldhouse , and offers special event .
White River State Parkis highly recommended for a long pass , bicycle ride or a head trip to theNCAA Hall of Champions , where you could get active with simulators , display and a story of all 24 NCAA sport . If you ’ve got an centre for or an interest in history , a visit to theIndiana War Memorialor a slip to theIndiana State Museumare both excellent and downtown or downtown adjacent .
Final Tips
Though it ’s in the Midwest , Indianapolis is among the more Southern midwestern United States cities from a geographics stand . So it ’s usually not as stale as some of its northern brother . In former March , temperatures should be in the L and 60s . And again , this place was built for events like this . Indianapolis has become the unofficial legion city of American sports , given all of the bad events it has attracted since the success of hosting Super Bowl XLVI . Take a straw poll of those who pass over and travel to Final Fours regularly , and a majority of respondents would probably tell you that the men ’s Final Four should be in Indianapolis every year . As the locals say , “ We originate basketball here . ” They have it away what they ’re doing when it come to March Madness .
