INDIANAPOLIS — For the first time since 1940, NCAA March Madness games will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse on the Butler University campus.
“It’s a very exciting time for Butler University,” said athletic director Barry Collier. “March Madness, in and of itself, is an exciting time and we follow it religiously here at Butler, but to have it on our campus is a whole different level, and we’re very excited to show off who we are, who Butler University is, particularly Hinkle Fieldhouse and the opportunity to bring so many people through the lens of a television camera.”
Because of pandemic restrictions, the in-person audience for the games will be capped at 25 percent of Hinkle’s capacity.
“We’ve seen both sides of it this year,” Collier said. “We’ve been on the road and had zero fans, and then we’ve been here with a good number of fans and even that smaller number in a gym that’s made for basketball is heard very easily and very well. I think people will really enjoy it, and it will be an exciting time for the teams, needless to say.”
Regional tournament games were played at Hinkle in 1940, the last time NCAA Tournament games were played at the venue.
You can see more of Dave Calabro’s visit with Barry Collier below or by clicking on the media player at the top of this story.