Indianapolis has a rich sports heritage, hosting major events like the Indy 500 and Super Bowl 46. It is also home to the NFL’s Colts, NBA’s Pacers, and WNBA’s Fever. Additionally, as the NCAA’s headquarters, it is a fitting location to host the Final Four and national championship game.
Lucas Oil Stadium, a retractable-roof multipurpose venue that can seat about 70,000 passionate basketball fans, will host the biggest event in men’s college basketball. One of the four remaining teams is set to have its “One Shining Moment” once the final buzzer sounds.
Indianapolis and Lucas Oil Stadium’s History Hosting the Final Four and National Title Game
Including this year, Indianapolis has hosted the men’s Final Four nine times since 1980, making it the second-most of any city behind Kansas City, which has hosted the event 10 times. Lucas Oil Stadium will host college basketball’s most important games for the fourth time since it began hosting the Final Four and the national title game in 2010.
There have been several memorable moments in men’s college basketball history connected to the city. One of these is the 1991 Final Four held at the RCA Dome, when Duke stunned defending champion and previously unbeaten UNLV, 79-77. This win sent the Blue Devils back to the national championship game, where they beat Kansas 72-65, marking the first title in history for the Mike Krzyzewski-coached team.
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Six years later, at the same venue, Arizona went on a “giant-killing spree,” defeating No. 1 seeds Kansas (Sweet 16), North Carolina (Final Four), and Kentucky (national championship) to win its only national title in program history. The Wildcats return to Indianapolis 29 years after their last title, hoping to end their title drought.
Lucas Oil Stadium, affectionately called by fans and media as “The House that Peyton Built,” did not just host memorable Colts games featuring legendary quarterback and two-time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning.
The 2010 Final Four could have been a Cinderella story for Butler, a campus less than seven miles from Lucas Oil Stadium. Butler, coached by Brad Stevens and led by Gordon Hayward, shocked No. 1 seed Syracuse and No. 2 seed Kansas State to reach the Final Four. They defeated Michigan State in the Final Four and faced Duke in the national championship Game.
The game was as close as it could get, and the Bulldogs nearly pulled off the upset, with Hayward nearly making a half-court 3-pointer at the buzzer. But the Blue Devils narrowly escaped with a 61-59 win for their fourth national title.
Five years later, Duke reached the Final Four alongside powerhouse teams Kentucky, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. The Blue Devils defeated the Spartans, setting up a championship game against the Badgers, who had upset the Wildcats. Duke beat Wisconsin 68-63 to secure Krzyzewski’s fifth NCAA title.
Besides the memorable games, the 2015 Final Four drew a live crowd of 143,387 people over two sessions, the largest ever for the stadium, and the Kentucky-Wisconsin semifinal was the most-watched college basketball game on cable.
Indianapolis made its eighth hosting appearance a historic one in 2021. As the nation was still feeling the effects of COVID-19, the city and other parts of Indiana hosted the entire NCAA Tournament from the First Four to the Final Four and National Championship.
Indiana-based stadiums, including Mackey Arena, Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum, and Lucas Oil Stadium, were accessible throughout the entire tournament. Baylor became the 2021 national champions by defeating Gonzaga in the final, ending the Bulldogs’ attempt at a rare “perfect season.”
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The stage is set for the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. East Region champions UConn face South Region winners Illinois in the first game at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday, and the matchup between West and Midwest top seeds Arizona and Michigan will follow immediately at 8:49 p.m. ET.
A new champion will be crowned on April 6 as the winners of the two Final Four games face off in the national championship game, which starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday.
