Collegian file photo.

DREW SANDIFER | SPORTS EDITOR | dsandife@butler.edu

Hinkle Fieldhouse is one of six venues in the central Indiana area to host NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games in March, per Matt Norlander of CBS Sports.

The NCAA Tournament will use Hinkle Fieldhouse as well as Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Purdue’s Mackey Arena, Indiana University’s Assembly Hall and Lucas Oil Stadium.

Indianapolis became a leading candidate to host the NCAA Tournament after reports that the NCAA was in discussions with the city to be a “bubble” site for the 2021 tournament. According to Norlander, all teams will stay in the downtown Indianapolis area and commute to their gameday sites.

The Indiana Convention Center will house practices. According to Norlander, there could be as many as 20 courts housed in the center.

While Hinkle Fieldhouse is the oldest of the venues to be selected for this year’s March Madness, Butler’s home arena has a history of hosting significant events. Hinkle hosted regionals of the 1940 Men’s Basketball Tournament, IHSAA basketball state finals until 1971 and even the short-lived Indianapolis Olympians of the NBA. The Indiana Fever of the WNBA are also scheduled to play their home games at Hinkle in 2021 and a portion of the 2022 season.

The 2020 NCAA Tournament was cancelled due to concerns over the then-emerging coronavirus pandemic. The Collegian will report more information as it is released.