Unless they fly charter planes, the trip from UIUC to MN is painful. It is easier to drive the 8 hours than deal with the flights. The flights takes 6-7 hours, plus time to/from/in the airport.Again just to stress … I’m cool with Indy. I love seeing a UC packed with orange, reminding everyone that this city (while spread among many fan bases) is our turf at the end of the day. However, (A) Indy’s downtown is one of the most underrated in the US, especially for something like this, and (B) Illini fans make that place Champaign East, as well … we DOMINATED the reduced crowd in 2021, and we had as many fans as INDIANA did this year, maybe even more!
I also understand NYC, as it really is a great marketing opportunity and an event at MSG is epic. What I don’t understand is locations that aren’t centrally located AND reliant on one team’s fan base to sell tickets like Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, etc. What those arenas/cities are like is irrelevant … Chicago, Indy and NYC, while each provides a few teams an advantage of sorts, are the only sites approaching “neutral.”
As I literally saw on an IU board RE: this news and found quite flattering … “Minny, IU and ILL can’t fill the place up on their own.” Glad our fan base has regained its reputation!
I feel like they have to charter regularly, because can’t be a lot of flights that go college town to college town, especially when they’re small towns like Champaign to East Lansing or something.Unless they fly charter planes, the trip from UIUC to MN is painful. It is easier to drive the 8 hours than deal with the flights. The flights takes 6-7 hours, plus time to/from/in the airport.
I mean, you can argue how much home court advantage MATTERS (which is what I think you’re doing?) … but Indiana, Illinois and Purdue clearly always have the most fans in Indy, and OSU isn’t even fourth.For all the talk about Indy being a tremendous home court advantage for Indiana, Illinois and Purdue, those three teams have a grand total of four BTT championships in 22 years, only two of which were won in Indianapolis (PU 09, IL 21) and only one of which was played in front of a traditional crowd.
Ohio State has had the best luck in Indy, winning four of its five titles there (one of which has since been vacated). Indiana has never won the BTT.
I'm not disagreeing with you, but I've attended the tourney about a dozen times, and EVERY SINGLE TIME, I end up in an elevator with Bucky in his full costume.I mean, you can argue how much home court advantage MATTERS (which is what I think you’re doing?) … but Indiana, Illinois and Purdue clearly always have the most fans in Indy, and OSU isn’t even fourth.
As a Chicagoan whose sister lives in Indianapolis, I must admit this is true. As long as you’re a good Midwesterner who can be content and happy with a good beer and a nice atmosphere, I’m not sure how you can’t think Downtown Indy isn’t SUPER underrated. Clean, nice, accessible and tons of restaurants and bars.Indianapolis knows how to put on a fan-friendly event. The BTT and the B1G Conference Championship football game should permanently be in Indy.
And Chicago and Indy, while giving a home crowd edge for Illinois and Indiana/Purdue, respectively, are the only two that approach a “true neutral.” Those two alternating is the answer.The tournament should never be in an "outskirt" city -- too damn far for everyone else to attend. No Minneapolis, Omaha, or Iowa City. No DC, no Jersey (OR New York), or Pittsburg/Philly. That leaves the reasonable central cities, with NBA stadiums, that MOST fans can drive to: Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Indianapolis, Columbus, Cleveland. And maybe eliminate Columbus because it's the actual hometown for OSU. Plenty to choose from without playing clear favorites every year, and without making half the fans fly.
I understand your point about Columbus. However, Indy is a virtual home game for IU and Purdue given (1) the proximity of their campuses to the city (50 miles from Bloomington and 60 miles from WL, each both straight shots on the interstate hwys); and (2) the concentration of alums in the metro area. Detroit, likewise, is a virtual home game for Michigan and Sparty for the same reasonsThe tournament should never be in an "outskirt" city -- too damn far for everyone else to attend. No Minneapolis, Omaha, or Iowa City. No DC, no Jersey (OR New York), or Pittsburg/Philly. That leaves the reasonable central cities, with NBA stadiums, that MOST fans can drive to: Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Indianapolis, Columbus, Cleveland. And maybe eliminate Columbus because it's the actual hometown for OSU. Plenty to choose from without playing clear favorites every year, and without making half the fans fly.
Overall, we still have a ridiculously good winning percentage there, both in the regular season and the BTT. Before a bad stretch under Groce, our winning percentage there was practically unbelievable (above .750).Is it my old age or has the UC not been kind to our beloved...
[Obligatory reminder that Indy has been crawling with Illini fans the last two BTTs!]I understand your point about Columbus. However, Indy is a virtual home game for IU and Purdue given (1) the proximity of their campuses to the city (50 miles from Bloomington and 60 miles from WL, each both straight shots on the interstate hwys); and (2) the concentration of alums in the metro area. Detroit, likewise, is a virtual home game for Michigan and Sparty for the same reasons
I'm down with Indy being the default site and never moving it from there given the quality of the arena, the local amenities for fans, and its geographical centrality. Occasional variety, however, wouldn't hurt, as long as the venue isn't on the frontier of the BT empire (speaking as someone living in such a place, DC, with the unwashed Huns [ACC and BE fans] ready to storm the walls at any moment.)
[Obligatory reminder that Indy has been crawling with Illini fans the last two BTTs!]
Cincinnati? Nice downtown, big arena.