Vaughn: March Madness ‘Once in a Lifetime Opportunity’
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowOver more than four decades Indianapolis has earned a global reputation as a big event city, hosting everything from Final Fours to the Super Bowl. But in 2021, Indy pulled off the improbable, hosting the entirety of March Madness. “Made For This Moment” is a documentary being released by the Indiana Sports Corporation that chronicles the city’s rich sports history and offers an inside look at how Indy handled an unprecedented logistical test. ISC President Ryan Vaughn says production of the documentary actually began prior to the pandemic.
“It presented a really unique opportunity to turn the lens from a broader story about the impact of sports to this very unique moment that quite literally we were built for.”
Vaughn talked about the documentary and what might be next in Indy’s sports future on a special edition of Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick.
Indianapolis was already slated to host the 2021 Final Four, but the pandemic prompted the NCAA to pursue a one-city “bubble” model for the entire tournament, similar to what the National Basketball Association had done in Orlando during its 2020 season.
The NCAA confirmed the Indianapolis plan in early in early January, giving organizers only about 10 weeks to prepare for something that had never been attempted.
Mackey Arena at Purdue University and Assembly Hall at Indiana University also hosted games, but 55 of the tournament’s 67 games were held in Indianapolis, at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum and Lucas Oil Stadium.