Big Ten Tournament Tips Off Today

Thursday, March 11, 2010

The Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament tips off Thursday at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Listen at wibc.com

Indiana plays Northwestern in Game Two of the opening round. The winner plays Purdue in the Quarterfinals Friday.

Downtown Indianapolis is ready to play host. Each Big Ten team has been assigned a downtown restaurant/bar as its own headquarters. Indiana Hoosiers fans are gathering at Kilroy's at 210 South Meridian. Purdue Boilermakers backers are meeting at Scotty's Brewhouse at 1 Virginia Avenue.

The plans at both establishments include cheers, music and a sendoff for fans with tickets to the game--and big screen televisions for those who don't. It's a big weekend for the downtown hospitality industry.

"The downtown scene thrives on really bringing people from out of town," says Scotty's Manager Grady Bass. "It's really not like other parts of town where they rely on locals that live there."