Summer-only construction at Bankers Life Fieldhouse forces Fever to find a new temporary home up the road
The Indiana Fever announced on Wednesday that they will be temporarily relocating to Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse starting next season, due to renovations to Bankers Life Fieldhouse over the next few years. They will play all of the 2020 and 2021 seasons there, as well as part of the 2022 season, before returning to Bankers Life.
Though the Indiana Pacers also call Bankers Life Fieldhouse home, construction on the downtown Indianapolis arena is scheduled to be completed during the summers only, and will not interfere with any NBA seasons. With Hinkle just 6.5 miles up the road and still centrally located in the city, Fever President Dr. Allison Barber said she hopes it will be an easy transition.
“As we temporarily move from one fieldhouse to another, we could not be happier to have this great relationship with Butler University,” Barber said in a press release. “We will do everything in our power to make sure this change of venues runs as smoothly as possible for our fans, our players, our staff and all friends and supporters of the Fever. The game of basketball is so important to Hoosiers and we are excited to bring the WNBA back to Hinkle Fieldhouse after playing a preseason game there in 2004.”
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Hinkle Fieldhouse has been open since 1928, making it the oldest arena in use in the WNBA as of next year, unless the Seattle Storm continue part of their relocation tour at Alaska Airlines Center, which opened in 1927. Either way, its historic significance in basketball lore can’t be overstated; it was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
It has also recently undergone a $50 million facelift of its own, which according to the release includes: “a new videoboard, LED lighting, air conditioning, wider concourses, added restrooms, improved and expanded concessions, new chairback seating and an elevator for public use and ADA accessibility.”
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