If you’ve been there, you already agree The Pacers have been tough to watch at times, but any excuse to go to Conseco is worth it.
We looked at probably 20 buildings, and Conseco stood out by far, mainly due to the whole fieldhouse theme,” said Rick Pych, president of business operations for Spurs Sports and Entertainment.
“After looking at so many other buildings, it became a blur. They all had a generic, somewhat sterile feel. Conseco was different. They took the Indiana fieldhouse concept and adapted it very well in that building.”
That was the dream of owners Herb and Mel Simon: Build an intimate arena that would wrap itself in the state’s basketball history, from the exterior look to the interior feel.
The result was a place called “a cathedral to basketball” by USA Today and “The Camden Yards of Basketball” by Amusement Business Magazine, referring to the Baltimore Orioles’ throwback baseball stadium.
“The difference evolved out of being honest to the place and time, respecting the tradition of basketball in Indiana and making Conseco the temple of basketball that it became,” said Tom Proebstle, who led the Ellerbe Becket design team.
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