Opened on November 6, 1999 when the Indiana Pacers hosted the Boston Celtics, Conseco Fieldhouse, is a step into the future while taking a walk back into history. It's big (over 750,000 square feet and 18,345 seats), yet comfortable. It has all the modern appliances, yet there's that favorite old picture on the wall. It is a building that is unique in today's sports society because the extra effort was made to make it that way. In other words, if you have a religion, you must build the appropriate cathedral.
In Indiana, basketball is religion. Conseco Fieldhouse is the cathedral. That's what makes the home of the NBA's Indiana Pacers and the WNBA's Indiana Fever unique.
"We wanted this building to have a kind of special feeling to it, that when people came into it they felt part of the tradition that the building is for," said Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO & President Donnie Walsh. "I think this is a pure basketball arena that reflects the game itself and the roots of the game."
Ground was broken on July 22, 1997, on the $183 million multi-purpose facility and while there were blueprints, a scale model and dreams, it was hard for anyone at the time to fathom what would evolve. But what has risen 14 stories into the Indianapolis skyline is a fit perfect for the city, the state, the game of basketball at any level and the various events a facility of this type would host.
"There are so many features that make it one-of-a-kind," said Tom Proebstle, Project Designer for Ellerbe Beckett, the Fieldhouse design firm. "The most obvious feature is the two huge glass curtain walls facing east and west that mark the beginning of an incredible architectural promenade as you are approaching downtown on the highway and see the lit-up glass set against the Indianapolis skyline. No other arena in the world can claim this. I'm sure it will be copied many times over."
That's the view from the outside. Inside, the unique look and feel of Conseco Fieldhouse fully takes over. The Entry Pavilion is a vast gathering place that funnels fans to the Grand Staircase. As patrons make their way up the staircase, their view takes them to their first look at the seating bowl (another unique feature) or to large, memorabilia cases on each side of the entrance to the Fieldhouse seating bowl.
From there, no matter which direction one takes, it's a nostalgic look. From the signage, to the concession stands, to the sponsor pavilions, to the bathrooms, to the practice facility, to the light fixtures, to the scoreboard, to the roll-out bleachers at the south end, Conseco Fieldhouse is unique, distinct and, as former Pacers' guard Reggie Miller described, "Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. Far beyond my expectations."
Conseco Fieldhouse has suites (69), club seats (2,400) and state-of-the-art amenities. But it has a look and feel unlike any other indoor facility.
This unique feel has brought many comparisons and compliments to Conseco Fieldhouse. The USA Today calls the Fieldhouse "A Cathedral to Basketball" and Amusement Business Magazine refers to Conseco Fieldhouse as "The Camden Yards of Basketball." NBC's Bob Costas said Conseco Fieldhouse "is winning raves all around the league, many think it's the best building in the NBA."
In addition to hosting major boxing events (Vernon Forrest vs. Sugar Shane Mosley, 7/21/02; Roy Jones, Jr. vs. Richard Hall, 5/13/00) and the Indiana Pacers and Fever, the Fieldhouse has hosted visits from Pavarotti, Bill Cosby, Bruce Springsteen, The Boston Pops, John Mellencamp, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, The Dixie Chicks, NSync, Britney Spears, Crosby Stills, Nash & Young, Kid Rock, and Disney On Ice. It has also played host to the 2002 FIBA World Basketball Championships and the FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships.
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