This was my first full year on the road in pursuit of my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events goal of reaching 80 iconic venues and/or events by the time my biological clock hits 60 in June 2027.
As such, I saw a lot in 2025.
In total, I traveled 53,982 miles, set foot on two new continents (Asia and South America), witnessed 26 events, and spent many nights not in my own bed.
Here are my highlights from the year that’s about to have been.
Number 5 – A December Sunday at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field
Packers’ fans celebrate a score during their 28-21 victory over the rival Chicago Bears.
My final event of 2025 was just about everything I could have hoped for.
The visiting Chicago Bears and host Green Bay Packers were playing for the NFC Central Division lead, both had winning percentages of over .700 this late in the season (the first time that’s happened since December 11, 1932), the skies were clear, and the temperatures felt like single-digits by the time the late afternoon game concluded.
The fact that the game came down to the penultimate play, a Caleb Williams pass to the end zone was intercepte by Keisean Nixon sealed the Packers’ 28-21 victory.
The only things that would have made this a game 10-out-of-10 would have been that final Bears’ drive heading into the endzone we were seated in and an occasional snowflake falling to create a total commemorative snow globe moment.
All the Content from Event No. 34 Still Needs to be Created. Stay Tuned:-)
Number 4 – Lionel Messi’s (Likely) Final Competitive Home Match for Team Argentina
This sums up, perfectly, the adoration the Argentine fans have for Lionel Messi.
It’s widely assumed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the final international go-round for Argentine soccer legend, Lionel Messi.
If this in fact remains true, then I’m able to say I was among the 77,000 spectators in Buenos Aires’ Estadio Mas Monumental for one of the game’s greatest of all-time’s final competitive home match when Argentina defeated Venezuela, 3-0, in CONMEBOL’s Matchday 17.
I understood next-to-nothing the public address speaker said throughout, but what I did understand the unmitigated affection that crowd had for Messi. From the standing ovation he received as he stepped off the bus in the loading dock, to his first appearance on the pitch, to the two goals he scored (and even the one that was disallowed by an offsides call), to his exit from the pitch following post-match media.
That no one in the stadium considered leaving until he was off the field is a visual I’m unsure can ever be erased from my mind.
Check Out All the Content from Event No. 24 at this link.
Number 3 – Arkansas Pitcher Gage Wood No-Hits the Murray State Racers in the MCWS
Arkansas pitcher Gage Wood celebrates a big out during his 19 strikeout no-hitter of Murray State during the Men’s College World Series in Omaha.
Like so many, I walked into Omaha’s Charles Schwab Stadium that steamy June 16 afternoon pulling hard for the Cinderella team of the Men’s College World Series, the Murray State Racers.
By the fifth inning, however, allegiances were subtly shifting.
Arkansas Razorback starting pitcher Gage Wood was DEALING! It looked like the Racers’ batters were swinging wet lasagna noodles against Wood as the strikeouts mounted.
By the seventh inning, I’m fairly certain everyone in the park knew what was happening.
That it happened was too cool for school.
Wood threw the first no-hitter in MCWS play in 65 years. His 19 strikeouts were the most in a 9-inning MCWS game … ever.
That I was there and, through the generosity of a stranger, had seats behind homeplate, is truly remarkable.
Check Out All the Content from Event No. 19 at this link.
Number 2 – Indiana Class 4A High School Sectional Final in Historic Muncie Fieldhouse
The opening tip between Greenfield-Central (white uniforms) and Mt. Vernon in the Indiana Class 4A High School Sectional Championship at Muncie Fieldhouse.
I was born and raised in Indiana and, as such, have a special fondness in my heart for high school basketball.
It was a fairly regular part of my weekly life as a youngster before my family moved to Michigan before sixth grade.
So, of the many events I planned to witness in 2025, I eagerly anticipated taking in some Indiana high school tournament basketball action. The first round is known as Sectionals in the Hoosier state and I was underwhelmed by the competitiveness I saw at the first two sites visited.
But on Saturday of Sectional Week … well I saw a gem.
I went with my cousin, Brandon, and his daughter, Calah, to see the Class 4A Sectional Final at historic Muncie Fieldhouse on a warm March evening. That there was a line to get in boded well and that the favored team, Greenfield-Central, was a among the top five teams in the state also provided optimism.
What none of us knew until the game began is who, exactly we were seeing.
Greenfield-Central’s star, Braylon Mullins, would go on to win Indiana’s coveted Mr. Basketball honor a few weeks later. He was a 5-star recruit who was destined for Storrs, CT, and the then 2-time defending NCAA Champion Connecticut Huskies. Mt. Vernon’s standout was a junior who’d already committed to Purdue named Luke Ertel.
The two duked it out all night, Mullins scored 38 and Ertel 36, but the upstarts from Mt. Vernon came away with an 83-76 double-overtime win. A thriller to be sure and a terrific way to cap off my week feasting on basketball in hoop-crazed Indiana.
Check Out All the Content from Event No. 14 at this link.
Number 1 – Witnessing the Setting Sun at the Rose Bowl on January 1
The golden hour at the 2025 Rose Bowl. What a view!
Odd, isn’t it, that I traveled nearly 54,000 miles in 2025 and my most memorable moment came on the very first day?
Never mind the football game (which The Ohio State won in a rout over Oregon), I was there for the environment, the pagentry, and the sunset.
I got it all!
The Tournament of Roses Parade shortly after dawn, the B-2 bomber flyover at the conclusion of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the ceremonial coin flip featuring the Grand Marshal (Billie Jean King), the Goodyear blimp hovering overhead throughout, and, of course, the sunset that was appointment viewing for me during my youth and – who am I kidding?!? – adulthood.
I won’t lie, it was a long day – especially considering I participated in the Run with the Roses 5K at midnight – but it was the best day of the year by a long shot.
Check Out All the Content from Event No. 11 at this link.
It’s nearly unfathomable to think that it’s now going on 40 years since the movie Hoosiers had its theatrical release on November 14, 1986. Not that you asked, but I saw it for the first time less-than-a-week later in Indiana at a Fort Wayne cinema with Chris, my former Editor-in-Chief at The Eastern Echo (Eastern Michigan University’s student newspaper).
Chris was a Detroit kid who knew next-to-nothing about Indiana high school basketball, but even he marveled at a nearly full theater over Thanksgiving Weekend and moviegoers who were alternately applauding, cheering, and, in some cases, wiping away tears during the movie.
With the score tied at 40 in the waning moments of the State Championship Game, the Hickory Huskers spread the floor for Jimmy Chitwood to work his magic. He delivered, draining the jumper as the clock strikes zero to give tiny Hickory High School the Indiana State Championship over mighty South Bend Central. (Photo from Orion Pictures)
Jimmy Chitwood (Maris Valainis) was the the unquestioned best shooter on the team – in fact, we only see him miss three shots the entire movie (one in the school gym early in the film, one outside when Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) is speaking to him, and one early in the 1952 State Championship Game) – that he wasn’t the first choice to take the game-deciding shot against South Bend Central in that Championship Game is utterly ridiculous.
But then, Jimmy delivers one of his only four lines of dialogue all film long: “I’ll make it.”
And he did!
As an Indiana native Hoosiers holds a special place in my heart. That the film’s director, David Anspaugh, was high school buddy’s with my uncle Ken, makes it even more treasured. And, yes, if anyone out there can help get Anspaugh to join me on an episode of Conversations with Sports Fans your reward will be great.
Just like Jimmy nailing that final shot.
One Final Note: As I was doing a bit of research, I ran across this nugget if you’re interested in ringing in the 2026 slightly differently. Start Hoosiers at precisely 10:07.48 p.m. and the the New Year will begin with Jimmy splashing that winning shot.
The closing moment’s of the 1952 Indiana State Championship Game including Jimmy’s game-winning basket.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
My travels took me to the largest high school gym in the world (New Castle High School), the gym that would have been mine had our family remained in Indiana (Bellmont HS), and historic Muncie Central High School Fieldhouse.
No exploration of Indiana basketball culture can be fully complete without attending a high school game or two or five as was the case during my weeklong stay as part of Event No. 14 of my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project.
I’d wager the hoops hysteria in this state is underpinned by its longterm affinity for the high school game.
Until 1998 Indiana conducted a single-class state basketball tournament. That is, no matter the size of the school, every one that fielded a high school team went into one bracket. In the early days, before school districts consolidated, that meant a bracket that featured upwards of 800 schools (I’d like to meet the person completed a perfect bracket in those days!). It invariably meant that neighboring schools were all grouped in the same Sectionals (what the Indiana High School Athletic Association [IHSAA] calls its tournament opening rounds) which meant jam-packed gyms and local communities that closed down during tournament time.
Those images seen in 1986’s movie Hoosiers when an entire town would caravan to the next game were, I’m told by those who lived it, spot on.
Today, the tournament is a more manageable 400-450 high schools split among four classifications based primarily upon enrollment (4A-1A). While I was unable to experience that kind of Sectional feeling, it was still informative to see tournament basketball in my native state for the first time in close to 50 years.
Tuesday – IHSAA 3A Sectional Quarterfinals at Bellmont HS, Decatur
Decatur’s Bellmont High School’s main entrance. This logo adorns a lamppost outside the entrance.
As noted previously, Bellmont would have been my high school had our family not relocated to suburban Detroit in 1978. While I’m sure I attended several games in BHS’s gym – known to this day as “The Teepee” – there’s only one that remains lodged in my core memories. It was an early-season non-conference game during the 1976-77 season and visiting Wayne High School from Fort Wayne paid a visit with star player, Roosevelt Barnes. Barnes – who wound up playing in the NCAA Final Four a few years later with the Purdue Boilermakers and, ultimately, four seasons with my new hometown Detroit Lions – and his Generals packed The Teepee. I recall a raucus crowd witnessing a close game or a while, but Wayne eventually pulled away for the victory.
There was no such environment during my most-recent visit.
My dad and I attended the opening game between Norwell (11-11) and Mississinewa (9-13) and my uncle Ken joined for the Bellmont (5-17) versus Marion (11-11) nightcap. The 3,200-seat gym was – maybe – a quarter filled at any one time and the environment, save for some vocal Norwell fans who’d just witnessed their girls win the 3A State Championship the Saturday prior, was tepid.
It clearly didn’t help that Marion and Mississinewa needed to travel close to an hour to get to Bellmont or that every team was at or below .500 at tip off.
Clockwise from top, the letters BHS are in the balcony of “The Teepee;” BHS graduate Kip Jones was an Indiana All-Star his senior year in 1985; the Norwell cheerleaders had plenty of McBride’s to unfurl as starters; Bellmont is more known as a wrestling and volleyball school; fan’s stand for the “Star-Spangled Banner” prior to the second game.
Still, it was wonderful to be back in my would-be home gym, to check out the trophy case (I’d forgotten about Kip Jones [Class of 1985 like me!] and his McDonald’s All-America status), and sample the popcorn (best batch of my week in the state).
The games were less-than scintillating, though Mississinewa roared back to tie its game before falling 51-41. Marion – nicknamed The Giants – came up big against the overmanned hosts, 75-56. Marion went onto to claaim this Sectional with a 92-88 overtime victory over New Haven.
Of Note: Norwell’s starting lineup featured the three McBride brothers (Adam, Joshua, and Nicholas) all the sons of Coach Michael McBride. … The two best players on the floor during the early game were both freshmen, Joshua McBride and Mississinewa’s Rayveon Fetz. Bellmont’s starting point guard, Daniel Selking (son of Coach Payton Selking) was also a freshman. … The public address announcer sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before both games. … Marion’s head coach is James Blackmon Sr. who played collegiately for the University of Kentucky (1983-87) and was Indiana Mr. Basketball runner-up his senior year at Marion HS to Steve Alford of New Castle Chrysler HS.
Friday – IHSAA 3A Sectional Semifinals at New Castle HS
You’d never be able to tell by looking at the exterior of New Castle Fieldhouse that nearly 8,500 spectators.
If there was one Sectional I was looking forward to it was the one at New Castle. Not because there was going to be a fantastic matchup, but because I’d heard so much about New Castle Fieldhouse.
Self-described as the “World’s Largest and Finest High School Fieldhouse” its seating capacity of 8,424 make it the largest such place in the United States (if not the world;-). In fact, of the top 10 largest capacities, eight are found in Indiana. (Find the entire list here.)
From the parking lot it sure doesn’t look like anything special, but upon entry visitors find a track ringing the top and then 24 rows of wooden benches descending to the basketball court. It reminded me of the University of Michigan Stadium (pre-renovations) when folks would walk by the unassuming structure in Ann Arbor and question how 101,000-plus could cram in there on gameday. The answer, much like at New Castle, is the subterranean construction.
Clockwise from upper left, the 1932 Boys’ Basketball State Championship trophy; Steve Alford was the 1983 Indiana Mr. Basketball; New Castle HS inductees to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame; the original center court is displayed; the view from our seat; volleyball state championship trophies above basketball sectional championship trophies; the current logo along the baseline; a reminder you’re in the largest and finest high school fieldhouse; some of the banners hang in the rafters; Kent Benson was 1973 Indiana Mr. Basketball.
Beyond the largese of the venue, there’s also a fair amount of history. As noted above, Steve Alford prepped here before matriculating to Indiana University. A decade before Alford there was another future Hoosier, Kent Benson, who earned Mr. Basketball honors while prepping in New Castle.
The Trojans won state championships in 1932 and 2006 and, similar to Bellmont, have become better known for their girls’ volleyball prowess of late (state championship in 2007 and 2017-2019).
My dad accompanied me to Henry County for these 3A Sectional Semifinals. The opener featured Delta (14-7) versus Yorktown (7-16) and the nightcap found host New Castle (8-14) against Connersville (10-14).
From left, Yorktown inbounds to start the second half of the first game; Connersville gathers for a pre-game huddle; the Connersville student section was ready for action; a view from floor level at the cavernous New Castle Fieldhouse.
The early game was close for much of the first half, but eventually the extended 1-2-2 zone Delta employed took its toll on the Tigers and it pulled away en route to a 49-39 win. The host Trojans ran the pick-and-roll to junior post player Alijah Turner – repeatedly – to perfection and ran way from Connersville, 61-41. Delta bested New Castle, 50-37, the next night to win this Sectional.
Of Note: While there were probably 3,000 or more fans in the venue near the end of the opening game, it didn’t feel like it, however, because of the size of the fieldhouse. … Look for the New Castle Trojans to have a bounce back season in 2025-26. Their Sectional roster included just two seniors and only three juniors. The remaining nine players were either freshmen or sophomores. … Sadly, the popcorn was borderline unedible due to the amount of salt. Do not fret, I persevered. … Curiously, only one playing of the “Star-Spangled Banner” at this Sectional.
Saturday – IHSAA 4A Sectional Championship at Muncie Central HS
It was encouraging to see a line to get into venerable Muncie Fieldhouse.
I had no preconceived expectations about what my cousin Brandon and his daughter, Calah, and I might witness at the Muncie Central 4A Sectional Championship.
In true me fashion, I’d selected this site for a few reasons, none of which entailed extensive research about the competing schools: First, it featured large schools which I’d hoped to see. Second, it was about an hour drive from where I was staying. Third, Muncie Central High School was the opponent of tiny Milan High School (enrollment of 161) back in 1954 when the Milan Miracle occurred and the Indians beat the Bearcats, 32-30, and served as inspiration for the movie, “Hoosiers.” Fourth, Muncie Central itself has won eight Indiana State Championships. Finally, the Muncie Fieldhouse – constructed in 1928 – is the fourth largest in the state (and country) with a capacity of 7,635.
What I was unaware of was: first, entering tournament play, two of the schools in the Sectional were ranked among the Top 5 in the state (No. 4 Greenfield-Central [23-3] and No. 3 Anderson [21-2]). Second, Greenfield-Central senior Braylon Mullins was a 5-star recruit who’s committed to 2-time defending NCAA Champion UConn and is the prohibitive favorite to win Indiana’s Mr. Basketball Award. Third, Mt. Vernon junior Luke Ertel had verbally committed to Purdue University. Fourth, the Muncie Fieldhouse was severely damaged by a tornado in 2017 and needed to be reconstructed. And, finally, the Muncie Central Alumni Association curates a Memorabilia Room that’s open to the public with oodles of historic artifacts from the school’s storied history.
What we got was one whale of an evening!
Just when it looked like I’d witness another high school rout (Greenfield-Central raced to a 14-point first-half lead), Mt. Vernon scrapped back and, thanks in no small part by a 4-point play by Jamaree Collins with under a minute left, and a clutch triple by Ertel in the closing seconds, the Marauders forced overtime.
Elijah Parra’s clutch triple narrows the gap to one point for Mt. Vernon HS.
The closing moments of regulation of the Muncie Central 4A Sectional Final.
And, then, another overtime.
And, ultimately, an 83-76 upset by Mt. Vernon (20-5) that denied the Cougars and its star of the school’s first Sectional Championship since 1998.
Mullins finished with a game-high 38 points and Ertel with 36. It was the sort of duel in steamy Muncie Fieldhouse that its walls had probably witnessed hundreds of times throughout its 97 years. That we were able to be there for it was, truly, special.
Clockwise from upper left, a piece of the State Championship net from 1928; a salute to the 1979 Bearcats’ State Champs; the most unique concession item from the eight games attended … a pickle; the Muncie community has been proud Central HS accomplishments; these two boys were crossing just about everything down the stretch; a view from the upper reachers of Muncie Fieldhouse; water damage from the tornado in 2017 made the old court unplayable but they’ve repurposed it along the concourse; one of the greats at Central was Ray McCallum (this was his high school jersey); Mt. Vernon cut down the nets following its win; the line to get in should have been a clue it might be a special night; the trophy cases are full of state championship hardware; and the banners hanging about the Fieldhouse tell the same story (including one from Muncie Southside HS in 2001).
Of Note: Of the three high school venues visited this was, by far, the best environment I experienced. Certainly having some big-time players on the floor helped, but the fact it was for a championship, was stuffy inside, and had a crowd that was into the game from the opening tip helped make it special. … When I say I had no idea about the players, I really had no idea. In fact, when Brandon leaned over early in the second half and wondered aloud, “Where No. 24 (Mullins) was going to college” we left it to his daughter to do the sleuthing. When Calah informed us it was UConn and that he was a 5-star recruit we both looked at her cross-eyed. She showed us her phone and we began to believe. … The Memorabilia Room was enjoyable to walk through and the hostesses were wonderful. A bit more detail of what visitors were viewing would be helpful. … I was tempted by the pickle from the concession stand, but stuck with my usual, popcorn. It was solid, but not up to the Bellmont bar.
On the left is the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center (home of the Grace College Lancers) and at right is Hinkle Fieldhouse (home of the Butler University Bulldogs). (Hinkle photo by Brandon Hill)
Ours was an Indiana University household during my youth. I’m really unclear how or why, but it might have had something to do with one of my dad’s high school buddies, Erv Inniger, playing basketball and baseball in Bloomington during the mid-1960s.
I recall seeing one of IU’s big stars of those 1970s teams, Ken Benson, at a speaking engagement in our home county. The details are hazy, but I recall him seeming larger-than-life (which, at 6-foot-11, I suppose he was to my 9- or 10-year-old self).
As noted in an earlier post, college basketball was the far superior product to the professional game in my part of the state and it was the choice for spectating during my childhood. Whether it be those Hoosiers’ teams of 1975, 1976, and 1981, the University of Notre Dame teams of the late 70s and early 80s with the likes of Kelly Tripucka and Orlando Woolridge, or that out-of-nowhere Larry Bird-led Indiana State University team of 1978-79, it was hard to be an Indiana native and not have some rooting interest in the college game. Heck, I suppose I could even include that Purdue University Final Four team of 1980 led by Joe Barry Carroll that was upset by UCLA in the national semifinal in Indianapolis’ nearby Market Square Arena.
All of which is to say I was very much looking forward to seeing some college basketball action while embedded in my native state for Event No. 14 of my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project. Likewise, my father was excited to see the two venues and some on-campus hoops action.
Up First – The Crossroads League Men’s Championship Game
Huntington University and Grace College tip it off to begin the 2025 Crossroads League Championship game.
Indiana’s official state motto is the “Crossroads of America,” so it should come as no surprise that a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) conference featuring eight of its 10 schools from the state would go by the name of the Crossroads League.
It turned out the week I was planning to be in Indiana coincided with the Crossroads championship game. Even more fortuitously, that game was played on Monday night when no other basketball action was scheduled. The 2025 participants were Grace College and Huntington University.
Grace is located in Winona Lake, a small community just east of Warsaw in the north-central part of the state. It was about an hour, 45-minute drive from my dad’s place and even after enjoying dinner at the nearby American Table Restaurant, we still arrived in plenty of time for the 7 p.m. tip off.
We had our pick of seats in the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center (MOCC) and, after looking at our options, settled in the first row of the permanent grandstands. It was a decision we’d later regret.
The venue opened in 2007 and still has a certain new feel to it. As it’s a multi-purpose venue there is a stage at one end with a red curtain pulled closed for athletic events. The website lists capacity for athletic events from 1,800 to 2,800. I’m believing on this night it was closer to the upper range.
Clockwise from upper left, I can’t recall too many cattle companies that advertise at college basketball games, but here’s one; the Grace logo; a small concession stand offered all the typical gameday fare; the view from one end of the MOCC; the view from our seats; this was one of two athletic trophy cases crammed with hardware; the Lancers were going for a 4-peat on the night we visited.
As the crowd began to fill in around us, I quickly deduced our seats were directly behind the Grace student section which didn’t seem to be a big deal … until the game started and, wouldn’t you know it, those youngsters were unwavering in their desire to stand and root on their hardwood heroes. My dad commented during our drive home that it “might have been the best game I’ve ever attended in which I didn’t really see much of.”
He wasn’t lying on either account.
The teams were rarely separated by more than two possesions and Grace’s winning margin of eight points (80-72) was its largest lead of the night. Huntington’s largest lead of seven points occurred early in both the first and second half and only ever-so-briefly. The atmosphere was, truly, electric. Huntington brought a couple hundred fans and the Grace faithful turned out en masse. The aisleway at the top of the bleachers was easily four patrons deep during a mid-second half restroom break.
And, while we maybe should have been standing because – as referenced above, our seats were somewhat obstructed – we really weren’t that invested to be on our feet the entire time.
At left, our view of the near basket. At right, our view of the far basket.
One thing I was able to see – though I was not entirely sure what I was seeing – was the halftime break line dance led by Grace’s mascot, the Lancer, to the song “Church Clap” by KB. (Note: It took a sharing of the following video to my 20-something daughter, Helena, before I was clued in to what exactly this was all about.)
Members of the Grace College student section take a moment during halftime to get their line dance on.
Up Next – Xavier University at Butler University in a Big East Game
Tony Hinkle was Butler’s coach (of baseball, basketball, and football) and athletic director at various points during 49 years with the university. If anyone would know about the echoes in the venerable Fieldhouse’s walls it’d be him.
While the Huntington-Grace game was a lovely bonus amuse bouche during my week of Hoosier Hoops, the main course was a few hours south in a nearly 100-year-old barn on the campus of Butler University.
Oddly enough, I’d never been to Hinkle Fieldhouse. My dad, sister, and I had driven by a couple years ago with the plans of taking the self-guided tour only to discover it was student move-in day and Hinkle and it’s parking lot were being used as staging areas.
So, on the afternoon of March 5, 2025, my dad, his high school friend, George, and my cousin, Brandon, took our collective 250-plus years of fandom south on Interstate 69 to pay homage to this shrine of college basketball that none of us had ever visited before.
It. Did. Not. Disappoint.
Our time in Indianapolis began at Plump’s Last Shot, a tavern near the Broad Ripple neighborhood that’s home to Butler’s campus. It’s an ode to former Bulldog and Indiana schoolboy legend, Bobby Plump, whose last-second shot in the 1954 Indiana State Championship game against Muncie Central proved decisive for his upstart Milan Indians, 32-20, and provided the inspiration for the 1986 movie Hoosiers. (I’ll write more about Plump, his Milan team, and the eponymous restaurant in a coming post.)
With full bellies and wide-eyed anticipation we strode through Gate 1 and into the this fieldhouse which was constructed in 1928 and, rightfully, has the National Parks Service’s distinction of National Historic Landmark.
The main concourse is a bit like a history lesson. Whether it be the many photos, the Butler Athletics Hall of Fame wall, the various showcases, the 18 plaques that note the many momentous events in this storied site, visitors are really unable to escape that they’re visiting someplace historically significant to the campus, the community, and the state.
Clockwise from upper left, signs such as this one noting the first game at Hinkle (March 7, 1928) and the IHSAA’s State Championships through 1971 (a certain John Wooden played in the first!); the Fieldhouse included a pool until 2002; a look into the Men’s Basketball Office; the 2010 and 2011 team’s run to the Final Four are commemorated with banners; and with the regional championship trophies; when it first opened, the court ran in the opposite direction; the view from my seat; Tony Hinkle did a bit of everything at Butler and thus, has this building named in his honor; the Butler logo is illuminated during the Star Spangled Banner; high school basketball and the movie “Hoosiers” have their own showcase; the Athletic Hall of Fame runs the length of one side of the concourse; the Bulldog mascot is given the banner treatment on one of the ramps to the upper levels.
There was a game on the night of our visit. The visitors from Xavier University (just a couple hours to the east in Cincinnati) brought plenty of supporters with it to cheer on their Musketeers who, on paper, were the better team and, likewise, on the court. In the hunt for a NCAA Tournament bid, they posted a 91-78 victory thanks in large part to the play of Zach Freemantle who scored 24 points on 12-of-17 shooting in just 31 minutes of action. The Bulldogs had no answer for senior from Teaneck, NJ.
While the game on the floor was certainly entertaining, for me – at least – just being in the building, hearing the band, the cheers, the banter between Xavier and Butler fans, and bearing witness to the history around me in this venue that first hosted a game on March 7, 1928 (just shy of 97 years to the day of our visit) had me a bit mesmerized.
That something so old and so cavernous could at the same time feel so intimate was both remarkable and heartening. It was an evening I won’t soon forget nor will this Xavier fan, quite likely.
This Xavier fan was all in on ensuring his team came away with a victory at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
But when the scheduling stars aligned back in October 2024 and I was able to see a Texas high school, college, and professional football game with one trip to the Lone Star State during Event No. 8, I figured I’d need to give my birth state of Indiana similar treatment regarding basketball.
So, when I began scanning schedules back in September, I zeroed in on this week to maximize my Hoosier Hoops Hysteria experience.
Beyond the seeing the games, there might even be a few surpises added to the mix as the week unfolds. Regardless, I look forward to a full immersion in the culture of Indiana basketball and sharing the experience with you.
A hardwood floor adorns the gift shop at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Last week was Spring Break in the school district where I work. For the record, I went south for the break … albeit only a 4-hour drive to my dad’s place in Indiana. No sunscreen necessary for this fella!
But it did elicit a memorable Spring Break trip even further south to New Castle and a visit to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and then a bit further south even still to Knightstown which is home to the Hoosiers gym. In this post, I focus on my time at the Hall of Fame.
Fittingly – I suppose – the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame sits on Trojan Lane, the same road as New Castle High School, the school with the largest high school gymnasium in the nation; seating capacity of an astonishing 8,424, which is actually down from it’s 1-time high that was over 9,000.
If another state has its own basketball hall of fame, I’m unfamiliar with it. And, certainly, another state would be hard-pressed to create a space such as what exists in New Castle.
Upon arriving, the first order of business should be a trip to the small theater to view the 17-minute welcome video and get a sense of what basketball means to the people of this state. Among the Hoosier state luminaries telling the story are Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, Steve Alford, Judi Warren, Katie Douglas, and Stephanie White. It’s a wonderful way to get into the right frame of mind for touring.
Out of the theater, the kiosks nearest the entrance focus on the current year’s Hall of Fame inductees. Of this group, the one I was most familiar with was Dan Dakich, the former Indiana Hoosier player and interim head coach.
Dan Dakich memorabilia in the Hall.
From there it’s a bit of “choose your own adventure” in terms of how you’d like to tour the facility. There’s a staircase down to the lower level where most of the exhibits reside or you can choose to use the ramp which has an arena egress feel to it. We chose the ramp and enjoyed the sights along the way, including displays devoted to Mr. & Ms. Basketball recipients and past state champions.
Among the sights at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame is this photo of prep phenom Damon Bailey’s Bedford North Lawrence final high school game in the state championship, played before a record crowd of more than 41,000 in the RCA Hoosier Dome, the showcases of the newly inducted hall members, and pennants of past state champions.
We chose the ramp and it provided a glimpse into Indiana’s storied hoop past. There at the bottom was a an entire section devoted to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Coach John Wooden. Wooden prepped at Martinsville High School where he won a state championship as a junior, played collegiately at Purdue University, and, following a brief pro career, began coaching at South Bend Central and, ultimately, Indiana State University, before he found his way to unparalleled success at UCLA.
John Wooden during his Purdue University playing days.
Among the other items I found fascinating, were showcases devoted to many of the Indiana’s legendary high school teams. Two, in particular, were intriguing to me and intertwined: Milan HS and Indianapolis Crispus Attucks.
Milan was a tiny school (total student enrollment of 161) located southeast of Indianapolis (darn near to Cincinnati) that won the 1954 Indiana all-class state championship. It defeated Crispus Attucks (with a young Oscar Robertson on the team) in the quarterfinals, Terre Haute Gerstmeyer in the semifinals, and mighty Muncie Central, 32-30, in the championship.
The 1954 IHSAA championship bracket and the Milan HS team photo from that memorable season.
To this day, the Milan story is the stuff of legend in Indiana (the city has it’s own shrine to the team, website here) and became the inspiration for the movie “Hoosiers.” What I was unaware of prior to my visit was that Milan had made it to the semifinals the previous year so, yeah, there was some talent on that tiny team to be sure.
As noted, Milan vanquished Attucks during its run to the 1954 title. Robertson and company found its ultimate success over the next two seasons, posting a 61-1 record on its way to back-to-back state championships.
This unique piece of memorabilia immortalizes the Crispus Attucks team and was a gift of the faculty.
Fittingly, the showcases for Milan and Crispus Attucks are side-by-side in the Hall of Fame.
As I wandered through the displays of great teams, I was struck by one other, East Chicago Washington High School, which went 29-9 during the 1970-71 season. What I noticed, immediately, was future Major Leaguer – and North Carolina State Wolfpack player – Tim Stoddard. It was not until my dad asked me to check out the results that I noticed that the Senators scored 100-plus points eight times in an era before 3-point lines, shot clocks, and/or any other matter of rules that promote more offense. In addition to Stoddard, this team included furture UCLA player Pete Trgovich and future Louisville and NBA player, Junior Bridgeman
The East Chicago High School Senators state championship team. Check out the 100-point games!
Beyond the John Wooden display, the other two spaces I wanted to explore were the those dedicated to Robertson and Larry Bird.
As noted previously, Robertson was a high school superstar who matriculated to the University of Cincinnati before taking the NBA by storm. His showcase featured both a miniature statue of the Big O as well as memorabilia from his playing days, including the terrific Associated Presss photo that was the subject of a recent Fan Teaser.
The Oscar Robertson showcase includes plenty of artifacts from his playing days. This statue captures his shooting form.
Bird’s area also included a miniature statue and plenty of items from his playing days at both Springs Valley High School and Indiana State University.
Larry Bird is seen driving to the hoop in his statue and his display area includes plenty of artifacts from his career.
One spot that took a more poignant turn was a lifesize replica of 7-foot, Eric Montross. The 1-time Bedford Indianapolis Lawrence North High School star found success at the University of North Carolina and then for nine seasons in the NBA. Montross died at 52 in mid-December after a brief bout with cancer.
Eric Montross was a towering figure in life and in the museum. His size 19 feet are outlined below.
Finally, the Hall has its version of the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Plaque Gallery or the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Bust Room. A lovely pencil sketch of each inductee as seen during their playing or coaching days as well as a more current version. Each has a write up of their accomplishments and is backlit to provide the type of reverent environment such galleries aim for. It was enjoyable to tour this area and see names from bygone days who’d otherwise been lost in the catacombs of my memory. Similarly, for my father, he was able to reconnect with legends from days of yore as well as some some who were significant influences in his life.
A few of the inductees in the Hall of Fame. Clockwise from upper right, Bobby Plump from Milan HS, John Wooden, Robert Dille who introduced my father to baseball, Brad Stevens, Eric Montross, and Damon Bailey. Montross and Stevens were both inducted in 2023.
Next Time: A visit to the Hoosiers’ Gym in Knightstown.
