INDIANAPOLIS—
It's about to get very busy in downtown Indianapolis. The Men's Big Ten Tournament starts at Conseco Fieldhouse Thursday afternoon, and the basketball court won't be the only place to get caught up in the action.It's a great time of year for Big Ten basketball fans. Especially with the field so wide open, and so much riding on it in terms of seeding for the NCAA Tournament. All that is good news for downtown businesses like the bars and restaurants, getting ready for the rush.
Many have called in their full staff, and added extra seating outside.
"I think the businesses downtown are really looking forward to picking things up getting along with the warmer weather and getting on with basketball," said Gordon Coke, owner of "The Pub."
Once again this year, 11 downtown bars have matched up with a particular team:
Illinois = The Ram Indiana = Kilroy's Bar & Grill Iowa = Claddagh Irish Pub Michigan = O'Reilly's Irish Bar & Restaurant Michigan State = The Slippery Noodle Minnesota = Alcatraz Brewing Company Northwestern = Buffalo Wings & Rings
Ohio State = Champps Penn State = Harry & Izzy's Purdue = Scotty's Brewhouse Wisconsin = Buffalo Wild Wings.
Meantime, keep in mind police are going to be very active downtown. City promoters want everybody to have fun, but safety officials want everyone to keep it under control. Beginning at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, they will be watching for drunk drivers, downtown, and out on the highways.
IU Hoosiers tip off against Northwestern at 5:00 p.m. A lot of local fans would like to see IU win, so they could move on to face Purdue.
For scores and highlights, check out our sports coverage of the tournament at IndySportsNation.com
