Author: Don Muret

Freshening Up the Fieldhouse

Freshening Up the Fieldhouse

Posted by | Mar 6, 2021 |

BRICK HOUSE: Suite renovations stay true to Bankers Life Fieldhouse’s retro theme. (Courtesy Indiana Pacers) How a $360M refurb will make Indy arena state of the art while keeping it retro Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the first retro-themed NBA arena, celebrates the rich heritage of basketball in the state of Indiana. More than 20 years after the venue opened in downtown Indianapolis, it’s going through a major  facelift to retain its distinction for future generations. The 18,000-seat arena, home to the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, was originally designed by the old Ellerbe Becket. It opened as Conseco Fieldhouse in November 1999 with lots of brick, a curved roofline and a tight seating bowl, all features of old gyms dotting the Hoosier State. The venue’s original price tag was $185 million. As the building approaches 25 years old, sports architect Populous designed comprehensive upgrades for the “Fieldhouse of the Future” at a cost of… Continue Reading Freshening Up the Fieldhouse

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Indiana Prepares for a New Kind of Madness

Indiana Prepares for a New Kind of Madness

Posted by | Mar 6, 2021 |

Indianapolis alone has 100 college basketball games booked in March, more than 30 of them set for Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

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Arena salutes Hall of Famer Irving Azoff

Arena salutes Hall of Famer Irving Azoff

Posted by | Mar 6, 2021 |

Pacers Sports & Entertainment has named a new space at Bankers Life Fieldhouse after music industry kingpin Irving Azoff.

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Tom Wilson: A Fine Ride in Detroit

Tom Wilson: A Fine Ride in Detroit

Posted by | Mar 6, 2021 |

Tom Wilson had an influence over many during his five decades in the business, whether with NBA’s Pistons or the NHL’s Red Wings.

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Tom Wilson brought back an amphitheater — and the amphitheater business

Tom Wilson brought back an amphitheater — and the amphitheater business

Posted by | Mar 6, 2021 |

SHOW AFTER SHOW: DTE Energy Music Theatre, with a capacity of about 15,000, is among the country’s busiest amphitheaters. (Chris Schwegler) Tom Wilson is most closely identified with developing two arenas in Greater Detroit. The sports and entertainment executive’s vision for revitalizing the market’s underperforming amphitheater sometimes gets forgotten among his accomplishments. In November 1990, Palace Sports & Entertainment acquired Pine Knob Music Theatre, now DTE Energy Music Theatre, for roughly $10 million. The Nederlander Organization owned and operated the facility, which opened on June 25, 1972, with a matinee performance by TV heartthrob David Cassidy. Over time, though, it became run-down and was booking fewer than 20 shows over the summer months in the 1980s, Wilson said. Starting in 1991, after Palace Sports took over the shed, Pine Knob was packed with 80 concerts annually.  Some acts such as classic rocker Eddie Money became an annual draw at the… Continue Reading Tom Wilson brought back an amphitheater — and the amphitheater business

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