Gonzaga-Baylor game Dec. 5 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse will be without fans
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Basketball could return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse as soon as Dec. 5 — without fans, though.
But, it’s big news as the city looks to rebound during the pandemic.
It’s a matchup of the preseason No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 2 Baylor. Both teams have high hopes to come back to Indy in April to play for a championship. The game would bring basketball back to Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the first time in nearly nine months, ever since the Big Ten Tournament was canceled in March.
Organizers, in a news release issued Thursday, called the game “a preview of what could come in Lucas Oil Stadium at the conclusion of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.”
“Fans or no fans, it’s exciting to get back into basketball of any kind,” said Rick Fuson, president of Pacers Sports & Entertainment and chairman of the Indiana Sports Corp.
The teams are scheduled to square off at 1 p.m. Dec. 5, just 11 days into the men’s college basketball season.
“It’s always good for teams to start off their season in the same place they hopefully will end up in the NCAA championship,” Fuson said.
But that’s not the only reason.
Officials said it’s a sign of trust that, even in a pandemic, Indianapolis can deliver because it’s put on so many other big events through the years.
“To get sports back here is a great business. We know we’re going to play in one of the finest gyms if not the finest gyms in the country and so it says a lot about a lot of things. It says a lot about Indiana and Indianapolis,” Fuson said.
It will also be the first game at the Fieldhouse since the first phase of construction renovations were finished.
The game will be televised. Fuson said the decision for no fans was made by others.
“On television is certainly better than not having it at all,” he said. “This is not our decision. This was the decision of the promoter and the teams so you have to respect what the teams and the promoter wants to do.”
Still, basketball is back.
Gonzaga and Baylor should be walking on the court 275 days after IU and Nebraska last walked off it.
“I am just thrilled about the whole thing,” Fuson said.
There are some local ties to the matchup, too.
Domantas Sabonis for the Pacers played for Gonzaga. Lauren Cox, a rookie with the Indiana Fever, went to Baylor.
A news release noted, “The game will be played with no fans in attendance, part of a controlled environment in Indianapolis coordinated by Pacers Sports & Entertainment and Indiana Sports Corp. Organizers will work with the Marion County Health Department to implement appropriate COVID-19 protocols, as well, to help protect the health and safety all of players, coaches and staff.”