Indiana State University will play an important role in the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament as official host of the Indiana Convention Center practice site for all 68 teams.
Indiana State University will serve as official host of the Indiana Convention Center practice site for all 68 teams in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis will have 12 courts. Throughout the tournament, ISU staff members will assist in coordinating practice schedules and managing on-site virtual interviews between team personnel and news media.
Practices start March 15. The tournament begins March 18.
The partnership between ISU and the NCAA came out of collaboration between ISU Athletics Director Sherard Clinkscales and NCAA Senior Vice President Dan Gavitt, and ISU President Dr. Deborah Curtis and NCAA president Dr. Mark Emmert.
“We are proud to help work through challenges and conduct this year’s tournament safely in the country’s best basketball state, Indiana,” Curtis said.
The NCAA moved all tournament games to sites in Indiana because of the pandemic. The NCAA partnered with local health providers, including the health departments from Marion, Monroe and Tippecanoe Counties, to establish COVID-19 protocols for players, coaching staffs, administrators, and officials.
Indiana State and the NCAA have also worked together to promote "Mask Madness," an initiative to promote safety through social distancing and the wearing of masks. As part of the program, the NCAA will donate thousands of masks throughout the state leading up to the tournament.
"This is a historic moment for NCAA members and the state of Indiana," Emmert said. "We have worked tirelessly to reimagine a tournament structure that maintains our unique championship opportunity for college athletes.”