Basketball is played in a wide variety of places across Indiana. From city blacktop courts to suburban driveways and backboards nailed to the sides of barns in the country. There are arenas that seat thousands of fans, like Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis (the home of the Pacers and Fever), the historic Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum and the Indiana Hoosiers’ iconic Assembly Hall. More than any other state in the nation, basketball is part of Indiana’s identity. But while the sport has many homes in Indiana, there’s little argument as to what the state’s premier arena is.
Hinkle Fieldhouse, the nearly 100-year-old home of the Butler Bulldogs, is the subject of the latest episode of Sports Illustrated’s video series “Stadium Wonders.” Our tour guide was Sally Wirthwein, a Hinkle Fieldhouse historian and former Butler cheerleader with incredible admiration for the building, its history and its place in Indiana culture. Wirthwein took us into every nook and cranny of the arena—not just the playing court and the stands, but also the gleaming home locker room, the practice facility and the time capsule of an equipment room in the building’s basement. It was a fascinating inside look at a classic American sports venue.
