For as long as the game has existed, the Big Ten’s football championship game has been played in LucasOil Stadium in Indianapolis. After an announcement on future championship sites on Wednesday, the Big Ten confirmed that will remain the case for another three seasons.
The Big Ten announced it will continue to play its football championship game in the home of the Indianapolis Colts through the 2024 season, giving the next three Big Ten football title games to LucasOil Stadium in Indianapolis. While there have been discussions about exploring other potential venues for the championship game, keeping the game in Indianapolis is perhaps the best option for the Big Ten.
Indianapolis is widely regarded as a terrific host city, and its central location serves the Big Ten well. Having the dome handy is also nice, although some fans would love to see just one Big Ten title game played outside in the Big Ten elements. But, all things considered, playing on a neutral field in a controlled environment allows for the best quality product for the Big Ten and all parties involved.
Penn State has appeared in the Big Ten championship game once, topping Wisconsin in 2016 to earn a berth in the Rose Bowl Game. The Big Ten has played a conference championship game every season since 2011, when the conference expanded to 12 members with the addition of Nebraska and split into two divisions, the Legends and Leaders Divisions.
Men’s and women’s basketball tournament sites confirmed too
The Big Ten also confirmed its future plans for the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. The 2023 women’s basketball tournament will be played in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Target Center. Both the men’s and women’s tournaments will be played in the same location the following season, in 2024. This will mark the first time either tournament has been played in Minnesota.
The 2023 men’s basketball tournament is already scheduled to be played in Chicago at the United Center. The Big Ten men’s basketball tournament has been played in Chicago 10 times since 1998, including the first four years the tournament was held beginning in 1998. Chicago and Indianapolis have alternating hosting duties for the tournament throughout the history of the Big Ten tournament, with Washington D.C. and New York City each hosting the tournament in back-to-back years in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
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