Big Ten Tournament Gets Underway In Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament is in town. Thousands of fans will fill the streets of downtown Indianapolis not only to attend the games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Students and almuni can connect with employers Thursday at the Career Expo at Union Station.

Saturday’s Hoops Day 5K will run past landmarks like Monument Circle and the Indiana Statehouse.

Indiana and Purdue begin play Friday, and it could be the first step toward a showdown Saturday. The Hoosiers won their 22nd Big Ten regular season championship this year, tying them with the Boilermakers. If both win Thursday, they will meet 1 p.m. Saturday.

IU is scheduled to play Friday at noon against the winner of the Northwestern-Michigan game. Purdue plays 25 minutes after IU against the winner of the Illinois-Iowa game.

It’s a tradition that each member school is paired with a downtown Indianapolis restaurant, allowing fans to gather with other supporters of their teams. Here are this year’s pairings:

Illinois: Ram Restaurant & Brewery

Nebraska: Granite City

Penn State: Harry & Izzy’s

Purdue: Scotty’s Brewhouse

Wisconsin: Cadillac Ranch

Indiana University:  Kilroy’s Bar & Grill

Ohio State: Champps

Michigan: O’Reilly’s Irish Bar and Restaurant

Michigan State: Slippery Noodle Inn

Iowa: Indianapolis Colts Grille

Northwestern: Champions

Minnesota: Hard Rock Café

Maryland: Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar

Rutgers: Ike and Jonesy’s