Tag: Lucas Oil Stadium

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren walks across the endzone prior to the Big Ten Championship football game between Ohio State and Northwestern at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020. Big Ten Championship Ohio State Northwestern

Big Ten plans on rotating championship game location

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Big Ten is expecting to rotate the location of its football championship game when its current contract with Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium expires after this season, commissioner Kevin Warren told NJ Advance Media at Big Ten Media Days on Thursday.

The conference will do the same thing for its men’s basketball tournament.

“We’re going to sit down and figure out the best way to rotate it, probably take out a request for proposal for basketball and football,” Warren told NJ Advance Media. “I’m open to any location our fans will travel to and enjoy in our footprint, anywhere from Nebraska to New Jersey.”

The Big Ten Championship Game was first held in 2011 and has been held exclusively at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Big Ten men’s basketball tournament has been held in Indianapolis and Chicago for every year since starting in 1998 except for 2016 and 2017. In 2017, the tournament was held at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. and at NYC’s Madison Square Garden in 2017.

–Field Level Media

Feb 26, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; General overall view of snow outside of Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Colts lower capacity to 10,000 fans vs. Texans

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Indianapolis Colts are allowing 10,000 fans to attend Sunday’s home game against the Houston Texans.

The number is a reduction from the 12,500 the team has permitted over its previous four home games. The lower number comes after a spike in COVID-19 cases throughout the state of Indiana, with Indianapolis hit especially hard.

“From the beginning of the pandemic, our top priority has always been to protect the health and safety of our fans, players and staff,” Colts chief operating officer Pete Ward said in a statement on Monday. “We have taken extraordinary steps to keep people safe in the stadium this year, and along with our partners at the health department, we believe this is right thing to do to help limit the spread of the virus in the greater community.”

The Colts hosted 2,500 fans in their 28-11 victory over Minnesota on Sept. 20 and 7,500 a week later in a 36-7 romp over the New York Jets. Lucas Oil Stadium has a seating capacity of 67,000 for football games.

The team has not announced a planned capacity for its final regular-season home game against Jacksonville on Jan. 3.

–Field Level Media

Nov 10, 2019; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay addresses the crowd in a ceremony to honor former Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney being inducted into the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor at halftime of a game against the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Colts to host 7,500 fans in Week 3 game vs. Jets

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Indianapolis Colts will host a maximum of 7,500 fans for their Week 3 game against the New York Jets, the team announced Thursday.

Colts owner Jim Irsay and COO Pete Ward cited the approval of the Marion County Department of Health in announcing that total for the Sept. 27 game. Lucas Oil Stadium has a capacity of 67,000 fans.

Ward said, per the Indianapolis Star, that the hope remains that even more fans will be allowed for future home games.

The Colts (0-1) will have a crowd of 2,500 for Sunday’s game versus the visiting Minnesota Vikings (0-1). Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET.

–Field Level Media