INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts received a call from the National Football League this week about the possibility of hosting the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 28. But after two full days of discussions, Visit Indy said the city decided they did not have enough time or space to be able to pivot and host the neutral site game and Capital Sports Volleyball Tournament on the same weekend.
The potential change of venue for the AFC Championship came into play after the cancellation of the Bills and Bengals game Monday night. The game was postponed and then later canceled after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was injured and collapsed on the field in the first quarter. He is recovering in a Cincinnati hospital.
Both the Bills and Bengals were vying for home field through the playoffs until the game was scratched. The NFL decided that if either of those teams advanced to the AFC Championship, the game would move to a neutral field out of fairness.
Chris Gahl, Executive Vice President with Visit Indy, said over the course of 48 hours, the City of Indianapolis, the Colts, the Capital Improvement Board and the volleyball tournament organizers took part in healthy discussions, thinking through various scenarios to try to accommodate both the game and the volleyball competition.
That tournament, which brings 30,000 fans and $10 million in revenue to Indianapolis each year, takes place next to Lucas Oil Stadium in the Indiana Convention Center. With 7,200 hotel rooms already committed to volleyball fans and visitors in Indianapolis, there would be few rooms and beds for an additional 60,000 fans from two out-of-town football teams.
Had the Colts advanced to host the AFC Championship this year, Gahl said the city would have had more time to prepare. The Capital Sports Volleyball Complex would have been utilized while still having matches at the Convention Center. However, Gahl said the flooring, labor and setup is all in place along with their associated costs, and it's too late to pivot.
Indianapolis is scheduled to once again host the NFL Draft Combine in late February.