Big Ten to choose between Chicago, Indianapolis for future title sites

CHICAGO - Big Ten officials received presentations Tuesday from the Chicago area and Indianapolis for future championships in football, men's basketball and women's basketball.

Chicago offered Soldier Field for football, the United Center for men's basketball and the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill., for women's basketball starting in the 2012-13 athletics seasons. Indianapolis offered Conseco Fieldhouse for both the men's and women's basketball tournaments and Lucas Oil Stadium for football.

The bids for each tournament are separate and not collective.

"We're just wanting to have a competitive process, a good set of presentations that we can sit down and deconstruct it and look at it from a perspective of do we have any questions and what's sort of in our best long-term interests," Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said.

Indianapolis will host the inaugural Big Ten football championship Dec. 3 on a one-year basis. Indianapolis wraps up a five-year run for both Big Ten basketball tournaments next March. The United Center last hosted the Big Ten men's tournament in 2007.

After months of speculation that other cities such as Detroit, Cleveland and Minneapolis would vie to host any of the events, Delany said Indianapolis and Chicago "are the two cities that we're talking to right now."

Delany said each event has television and hotel implications and he will present the information to league presidents in June. The men's and women's tournaments are staged in consecutive weeks but there are models where they could run concurrently, Delany said.

"We have a very open mind about how to mix and match," Delany said. "We really want to deconstruct the bids and get a sense of not only the revenues but also expenses and think about the fan experience. There are a lot of factors that are there.

"I think we had a fabulous experience in Chicago when we were here. A great experience in Indianapolis over the years. We're really excited about Lucas Oil and these are two great sports cities in America. So I don't, regardless of what we do, think we can go wrong. It's just trying to make the wisest decision based on the information we have and any clarifications that we might need."

For football, the biggest decision centers on hosting the game outdoors at Chicago's Soldier Field or at Indianapolis' indoor Lucas Oil Stadium. Delany said there's strong consideration to Soldier Field despite the potential elements.

"It is true that we have outdoor games the week before," Delany said. "But it is a championship game so you want the fan experience to be good. Also maybe the most memorable game based on the weather. We're open-minded. We wouldn't have had the two bidders that we had unless we were making it in good faith and looking at it and analyzing it and trying to make a good decision."

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian and Indiana Pacers vice president Clark Kellogg made the Indianapolis presentation.

"I think Conseco Fieldhouse is the best, and I've said this countless times, basketball building that I've been in," said Kellogg, who also serves as a college basketball analyst for CBS. "But I'm biased."