November 10, 2026Updated November 11, 2026, 7:46 a.m. ET
Indiana and Syracuse are marquee names in men’s college basketball — and a rematch of the 1987 national championship game.
Both teams entered Monday’s game undefeated in Indianapolis, marking the first power conference matchup for each school at the start of the 2026-27 season.
And it was in a nearly empty Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The home of the Indiana Pacers has a capacity of 17,274. Monday’s attendance was 5,047 people. And it might even have been generous. Indiana has more than 20 high school gyms that could have accommodated that many fans, with spare change.
In 49 states, it’s just basketball…
There are many reasons for this light crowd:
- Indiana has missed seven of the last nine NCAA Tournaments.
- Syracuse has missed five games in a row. So it’s not exactly a flagship product.
- Some will point out that the Monday tipping time, at 6:30 p.m., has a deterrent effect.
- In reality, ticket prices were probably the main culprit, with second-tier seats costing around $75 on average and lower-tier seats costing north of $250. The upper levels of the arena were completely enclosed by curtains.
- Plus, Indiana is now a football school.
The game was part of the non-conference, off-campus Bad Boys Mowers series, which will also feature Gonzaga vs. LSU (Nov. 14 at Spokane), Arkansas vs. Indiana (Nov. 17 at Madison Square Garden) and Nebraska vs. Butler (Nov. 22 at Chicago).
Monday’s game itself was actually entertaining, with the Hoosiers holding on for a three-point victory. What if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to see it?
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