Big Ten Tournament Moves to Indianapolis

The state of Indiana is already set to host the entire 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, assuming it gets played, and now it will host the Big Ten men’s tournament as well. The conference announced Tuesday they are moving the men’s tournament from Chicago’s United Center to Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. The Big Ten women’s tournament is already scheduled to be played in Indianapolis. 

The Big Ten released a statement with an explanation for the move. “Hosting both the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in the same city allows for cohesive testing and medical protocols for both events as well as centralized accommodations surrounding the competition venues.” The Big Ten men’s tournament is still scheduled to run from March 10-14, and the 2023 tournament will now be held in Chicago. 

The move allows for both basketball teams from all 14 athletic departments to be in the same downtown area and the same facilities. It will also make travel easier for the teams who make the NCAA Tournament, which will mostly take place in and around Indianapolis just days after the conference tournament ends. 

The Current Landscape

The Big Ten has seven teams ranked in the AP Top 25 this week, including three in the top 10. Michigan (13-1, 8-1), who has been on a two-week COVID break, is the top-ranked team at No. 3, with Ohio State (15-4, 10-4) one spot behind them. Illinois (13-5, 9-4) is ranked No. 6, with Iowa (13-6, 7-5) at No. 15 and Wisconsin (14-6, 8-5) at No. 21. Purdue (13-7, 8-6) at No. 24 and Rutgers (11-6, 7-6) at No. 25 round out the rankings, with Minnesota (12-7, 5-7) receiving votes this week. 

With Indiana (10-8, 5-6), Michigan State (10-7, 4-7), and Maryland (10-10, 4-9) also having .500 or better records and at least 10 wins thus far, the Big Ten could be looking at 10 or 11 bids in the NCAA Tournament. The top four teams in the Big Ten regular-season standings get a double-bye into the tournament quarterfinals while teams in the 5th-10th places get one bye. The teams in the 11th-14th slots have a play-in game to the second round. 

Big Ten Odds

Michigan is the favorite to win the Big Ten at +260, with Ohio State and Illinois at +300. Wisconsin is +425, and Iowa, the preseason favorite, is at +675. Purdue and Rutgers are +1500, with Minnesota at +2000. Look for Indiana’s odds to drop from +6000 now that they are the de facto home team, especially if fans are allowed inside Lucas Oil Stadium for the tournament.

It will be interesting now to see if any other conferences make changes. Among the other Power 5 conferences, the SEC is scheduled for both Nashville, Tenn. (men) and Greenville, S.C. (women). The Big East will play the men’s tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City with the women’s tournament at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. The ACC (Greensboro, N.C.), Big-12 (Kansas City, Mo.), and Pac-12 (Las Vegas, Nev.) are already set up to have both the men’s and women’s tournaments in the same city in March.

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