It's official: Big Ten men's basketball tournament to move to Indianapolis

Twenty-seven days.

Seventy games.

That's currently the count for Division I college basketball games in Indiana beginning March 10 as the Big Ten made it official: Its men's basketball tournament will move from Chicago to be played in Indianapolis from March 10-14. The women's tournament was already scheduled to be held in Indianapolis March 9-13.

"The decision to relocate the tournament to Indianapolis was based on multiple factors," the Big Ten said in a statement. "First and foremost was the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches, officials and conference constituents. 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 Big Ten Conference is grateful to (Chicago) Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the city of Chicago and our partners at the United Center and the Chicago Sports Commission for their flexibility and to Indiana Sports Corp, Lucas Oil Stadium and the city of Indianapolis for being able to assist our basketball teams during these unprecedented times."

The event is expected to use the NCAA's two-court setup at Lucas Oil Stadium during the NCAA tournament beginning March 18. It will also resolve issues created by Chicago's COVID-19 restrictions involving hotels, meals and the number of players allowed in team meetings.

The Big Ten Tournament will require substantial hotel and practice space, tight security and stringent testing protocols, but Indianapolis should be fully prepared for a scaled-down version of March Madness a week ahead of the real thing.

Follow IndyStar Deputy Sports Editor Nat Newell on Twitter: @NatJNewell.