The Big Ten Conference announced on Tuesday that it will relocate its 2021 men’s basketball tournament from the United Center in Chicago to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
In a statement, the conference said the decision was made to move the men’s tournament to the same venue as the league’s women’s tournament, in order to allow “for cohesive testing and medical protocols for both events, as well as centralized accommodations surrounding the competition venues.”
The decision to relocate the tournament was made with input from the Big Ten Conference Administrators Council, which includes the directors of athletics and senior women administrators from each of the conference’s 14 member institutions. The council worked in collaboration with the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors and the conference office.
“The Big Ten Conference is grateful to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the city of Chicago and our partners at the United Center and the Chicago Sports Commission for their flexibility and to Indiana Sports Corp, Lucas Oil Stadium and the city of Indianapolis for being able to assist our basketball teams during these unprecedented times,” the statement from the conference reads.
The Big Ten men’s basketball tournament will take place from March 10-14, preceding the NCAA tournament. In January, it was announced that Indianapolis and surrounding communities within the state would serve as host sites for the entire NCAA tournament.
The Big Ten men’s basketball tournament will return to the United Center in 2023.
