Inside INdiana Business is reporting that the Big Ten Conference has confirmed plans to relocate its 2021 Men’s Basketball Tournament from Chicago to Indianapolis. The men’s tournament, which will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium, joins the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, which was already scheduled to take place at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The men’s tournament is scheduled for March 10-14. The conference says the decision to relocate the tournament was based on multiple factors, the first of which is the health and safety of everyone involved.
“Hosting both the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in the same city allows for cohesive testing and medical protocols for both events, as well as centralized accommodations surrounding the competition venues,” the conference said in a statement Tuesday.
The men’s tournament will be held concurrently with the women’s tournament, which is scheduled for March 9-13. Both tournaments precede the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament, which will be held at several sites in central Indiana.
The Big Ten says the men’s basketball tournament will return to Chicago in 2023.