Hinkle Fieldhouse facts for kids

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Hinkle Fieldhouse
Significant dates
Indiana's Basketball Cathedral

Former names	Butler Fieldhouse (1928–1966)
Location	510 West 49th Street Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Owner	Butler University
Operator	Butler University
Capacity	9,100 (2014–present) 10,000 (2009–2014) 11,043 (1989–2009) 15,000 (1928–1989)

Butler Fieldhouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark

National Historic Landmark plaque
Location in Indianapolis Show map of Indianapolis Location in Indiana Show map of Indiana Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Built	1927
Architect	Fermor Spencer Cannon
NRHP reference No.	83003573
Added to NRHP	December 22, 1983
Designated NHL	February 27, 1987

Surface	Hardwood
Construction
Built	1927
Opened	March 7, 1928
Renovated	1989, 2011–2014
Construction cost	$750,000 ($12.8 million in 2022 dollars )
Architect	Fermor Spencer Cannon
Tenants
Butler Bulldogs (Big East) (1928–present) Indianapolis Jets (BAA) (1948–1949) Indianapolis Olympians (NBA) (1949–1953) 1987 Pan American Games Indiana Fever (WNBA) (2021–2022)

Hinkle Fieldhouse is a famous basketball arena in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is located on the campus of Butler University. When it was finished in 1928, it was the biggest basketball arena in the United States. It kept this title until 1950.

The arena was first called Butler Fieldhouse. In 1966, it was renamed Hinkle Fieldhouse. This was to honor Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle, who was a coach and athletic director at Butler for a long time. It is one of the oldest college basketball arenas still used today. It is also one of the largest in NCAA Division I basketball.

Hinkle Fieldhouse is sometimes called "Indiana's Basketball Cathedral." It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 1987, it became a U.S. National Historic Landmark.

Since 1928, Hinkle Fieldhouse has been the home court for the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team. (It was used as a military barracks during World War II from 1943 to 1945). The arena also hosted the championship games for the annual Indiana High School Boys Basketball Tournament from 1928 to 1971.

Many different events have taken place at Hinkle Fieldhouse. These include professional basketball games, indoor track events, and even circuses. U.S. presidents have also visited the arena.

In 2010, the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team won the Horizon League conference title there. Hinkle Fieldhouse is also famous for hosting high school basketball games. One of the most memorable was the 1954 state championship. In that game, a small school called Milan High School beat a much larger team. This game inspired the movie Hoosiers (1986). The final scenes of the movie were filmed at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

History of Hinkle Fieldhouse
Events at Hinkle Fieldhouse
Images for kids
See also

History of Hinkle Fieldhouse

Hinkle Fieldhouse was one of the first buildings built when Butler University moved to its new campus in Indianapolis in 1928. It was first called Butler Fieldhouse. Important business people in Indianapolis helped pay for it. They thought it would be good for both the city and the university.

Construction on the arena started in the fall of 1927. It was designed by an architect named Fermor Spencer Cannon. When it opened in 1928, it was the largest basketball arena in the United States. It held this title until 1950. It is now the sixth-oldest college basketball arena still in use.

The arena was renamed Hinkle Fieldhouse in 1966. This honored Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle, who was a coach and athletic director at Butler for many years. The arena was built with a special steel system. This system allowed fans to have clear views of the basketball court. It could hold over 15,000 people when it first opened. Its design was so good that it inspired other basketball arenas.

Hinkle Fieldhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1987. It has been used for over 90 years!

Basketball in Indiana

Hinkle Fieldhouse is known for basketball in Indiana. The state is famous for its love of the game, often called "Hoosier Hysteria". Besides being home to the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team, it hosted the Indiana high school tournament championship games. These games were held from 1928 to 1971.

During World War II, from 1943 to 1945, the arena was used as a military barracks. It housed U.S. Army Air Forces and U.S. Navy recruits. The state high school championship games returned to Butler in 1946. They stayed there until 1972. After that, the games moved to other places in the state.

Honoring Coach Hinkle

In November 1965, Butler University decided to rename the arena Hinkle Fieldhouse. This was to honor Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle. He was a coach for three different sports and an athletic director at Butler. Hinkle started at Butler as an assistant basketball coach in 1921. He became the head basketball coach in 1926. He coached the men's basketball, baseball, and football teams from 1934 to 1970. He was also Butler's athletic director.

Hinkle Fieldhouse is one of the few old sports arenas still used in the U.S. It is also very well-preserved. Brad Stevens, a former Butler basketball coach, said that Hinkle Fieldhouse is for people who "appreciate tradition, somebody that appreciates history." In 2006, a TV show about Hinkle Fieldhouse called Indiana's Basketball Cathedral was shown on ESPN.

Modern Renovations

The arena has been updated many times over the years. A big renovation project costing $36.2 million was finished in 2014. The goal was to keep the historic look of the outside. They also wanted to make the inside more modern and easier to use.

Because it is a National Historic Landmark, the outside of the building did not change much. The 2014 updates included replacing windows and fixing the brick walls. Inside, old offices were removed to open up the main areas. New scoreboards and decorative murals were added. Seating was updated to make it easier for everyone to use, including people with disabilities. Air conditioning was also added.

The basketball court, ceiling, and steel roof parts mostly stayed the same. The seating capacity was reduced from 10,000 to 9,100. About 4,500 new chair-back seats were added. Some bleachers were kept for student seating. A large video board was put above the court. Smaller scoreboards were placed in each corner.

The attached wing on the west side of the fieldhouse was also remodeled. This area used to have a swimming pool. It was changed into a three-level facility. It now has training rooms, locker rooms, and study spaces. An elevator was also installed to reach the upper seating areas.

Events at Hinkle Fieldhouse

Hinkle Fieldhouse has hosted many different events. These include high school and college basketball games. It has also hosted U.S. Olympic team games and professional basketball games. During World War II, it was even used as a military barracks.

Butler Team Events

The Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team won the first game ever played at Hinkle Fieldhouse. This was on March 7, 1928. They beat the University of Notre Dame 21–13 in overtime. About 12,000 fans watched the game.

Hinkle Fieldhouse has hosted many college basketball tournaments. Butler's men's basketball team won the Horizon League conference title there in 2010. Both the men's and women's basketball teams at Butler still play their home games at Hinkle Fieldhouse. They are part of the Big East Conference.

High School Tournaments

Hinkle Fieldhouse was the site of Indiana's annual state high school boys' basketball championship games. This was from 1928 to 1971. The only times it didn't host were from 1943 to 1945. During those years, the arena was a military barracks. The championship games returned to Butler in 1946. They stayed there until 1972.

In the first high school championship game at Butler Fieldhouse in 1928, Muncie Central High School won. In March 1930, the arena had its first sold-out crowd for a state championship game. At that time, Butler's arena was considered one of the best places in the country for games.

One of the most famous high school games was the "Milan Miracle" in 1954. A tiny school called Milan High School beat the much larger Muncie Central High School team. A Milan player named Bobby Plump made the winning shot at the last minute. This Milan team inspired the movie Hoosiers (1986). The final scenes of the movie's championship game were filmed at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

In 1950, Butler Fieldhouse hosted the first televised state championship game. In 1955 and 1956, Oscar Robertson and his team from Crispus Attucks High School won back-to-back state championships there. This was the first time an all-black high school team had done this.

Other Notable Basketball Games

Hinkle Fieldhouse has hosted many other basketball events. These include professional basketball teams and U.S. Olympic team games. It also hosted the first basketball game between the USSR and USA.

The 1940 NCAA Basketball Tournament East Regionals were held there. The Indiana Hoosiers won those games and later became national champions. The NBA's Indianapolis Olympians played at the Fieldhouse from 1949 until 1953.

In September 2019, the WNBA's Indiana Fever announced they would use Hinkle Fieldhouse for their home games in 2020, 2021, and part of 2022. This was because their usual home arena was being renovated.

Other Events and Visitors

Besides basketball, Hinkle Fieldhouse has been used for many other events. These include professional tennis matches, bicycle races, and horse riding events. It also hosted the Butler Relays, a national indoor track event. In 1935, Jesse Owens set a world record there in the 60-yard dash.

Hinkle Fieldhouse hosted the Men's and Women's Volleyball Tournament during the 1987 Pan American Games. About 15,000 people watched, which was a record for a volleyball match in the U.S. at that time.

The arena has also been a place for important speeches. Many U.S. presidents have visited, including Herbert Hoover, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Other special events have included circuses and large concerts.