The Big Ten Conference may follow the NCAA’s lead in moving its season-ending men’s basketball tournament to Indiana.
Jon Rothstein reported Sunday that the Big Ten is seriously considering moving its March 10-14 conference tournament from Chicago to Indianapolis.
“One of the primary reasons that the move is being considered is because Indianapolis’ local health guidelines are more conducive to having families in attendance than Chicago’s,” Rothstein wrote on College Hoops Today of why the league might choose to play in Indianapolis instead of the United Center in Chicago.
The Big Ten women’s tournament is already scheduled for March 9-13 in Indianapolis.
The 2020 men’s conference tournament was in Indianapolis, but was canceled early on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The upcoming version of the Big Ten tournament would conclude right before the NCAA tournament field is selected on March 14. The NCAA announced earlier this month that the entire season-ending men’s basketball tournament will be held in Indiana. The association has moved the tournament, which was canceled last year, to a smaller geographic footprint in the hopes of mitigating the effects of COVID-19.
The 67-team NCAA tournament will be hosted by Ball State, Butler, the Horizon League, Indiana, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and Purdue. Indianapolis officials are projecting a $100 million economic boost from the tournament, which will conclude April 5.
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