Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Lore & Background

The arena was originally named Conseco Fieldhouse, as the naming rights were sold to Conseco, a financial services organization based in nearby Carmel. In May 2010, the company renamed itself CNO Financial Group, but the fieldhouse retained the Conseco name. In December 2011, CNO Financial Group changed the name to Bankers Life Fieldhouse, after one of its subsidiaries, Bankers Life and Casualty. CNO decided not to renew its naming sponsorship after it expired on June 30, 2019. On September 27, 2021, the fieldhouse announced that Indianapolis-based financial platform Gainbridge would be the new naming partner in a multi-year partnership. The first NBA game held at Conseco Fieldhouse was on November 6, 1999, when the Indiana Pacers played their regular-season home opener against the Boston Celtics. Later that same season, the Pacers made it to the 2000 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers; Games 3, 4, and 5 of that championship series were held at Conseco Fieldhouse, but the Pacers lost the title four games to two. Several games of the 2002 FIBA World Championship were played at Conseco Fieldhouse, including the semifinals and the final. In 2009, the fieldhouse was the site for the 2009 WNBA Finals; the Indiana Fever took on the Phoenix Mercury for games 3 and 4 but lost the series. Three years later, the Fever hosted the 2012 WNBA Finals for games 3 and 4 and beat the Minnesota Lynx. The Indiana Firebirds of the Arena Football League played at the fieldhouse from 2001 to 2004. The venue also hosted select games for the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League. From 2002 to 2007, the fieldhouse served as the site of the Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament in even-numbered years, while the tournament was held at the United Center in Chicago in odd-numbered years. In 2008, the tournament was moved to Conseco Fieldhouse exclusively for five years, through 2012. The arena is also a frequent site of the Big Ten women's basketball tournament; 2012 marked the 12th time in 13 years that the tournament had been held at the fieldhouse.

Reader's Guide

Gainbridge Fieldhouse is located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Designed by Ellerbe Becket, the arena's distinctive brick and glass facade evokes Indiana's classic high school and college field houses. Unlike most other North American sports arenas, the facility was designed primarily for basketball. The arena can accommodate an NHL-sized rink, but the ice hockey seating capacity is reduced to 12,500 in an asymmetrical configuration. For basketball, the venue seats 17,923 (18,345 from 1999 to 2006, 18,165 from 2006 to 2016). In 2012, a large scoreboard was added featuring twin 1080p HD video screens, each measuring 50 ft long by 21 ft high, plus a 25 x 14 ft full 1080p HD video screen facing each baseline; a new sound system was also installed. In April 2019, the Marion County Capital Improvement Board approved a $360 million renovation project completed in late 2022, which included a new outdoor entry plaza, new indoor gathering areas, and various interior enhancements. The Pacers committed to remaining in Indianapolis for at least 25 more years as part of the renovation agreement. Construction occurred in two phases, almost all during Pacers offseasons. The project displaced the Fever for all of the 2020 and 2021 WNBA seasons, as well as part of the 2022 season; for 2022, the Fever played the first section of the schedule at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, but after the NBA season ended, the Fever played games at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. The arena hosted first and second-round games of the 2017, 2022, and 2024 men's NCAA tournaments, and also hosted first, second, and regional semifinal (Sweet 16) round games of the 2021 men's tournament.

Did You Know?

• Metallica set a new attendance record at the venue on March 11, 2019, with 18,274 fans.
• In 2005 and 2006, Conseco Fieldhouse was ranked the No. 1 venue in the NBA according to the Sports Business Journal/Sports Business Daily Reader Survey.
• The arena hosted the 2004 FINA Short Course World Swimming Championships, with a record crowd of 11,488 for a U.S. Swimming event outside the Olympics.