Indy police prepare to protect homecourt during NCAA Final Four
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IMPD chief Tanya Terry talks public safety plans for the 2026 Final Four. Photo: Justin L. Mack/Axios
Expect a significant police presence and multiple downtown road detours when the 2026 NCAA Men's Final Four arrives in Indianapolis next week.
Why it matters: More than 70,000 people are expected to take part in the college basketball extravaganza each day it's in town, meaning an increased chance of interactions among attendees that could escalate to violence.
What they're saying: "We've been planning for years," IMPD chief Tanya Terry said. "We're using every tool available to protect our community and ensure public safety."
Driving the news: Somehow, next weekend is bigger than just the city hosting its ninth men's Final Four in history and its first since 2015 to not be marred by a global pandemic.
- The five-day stretch of local events also includes the NCAA Division II and III men's championships, the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championships, and the HBCU All-Star Game.
- Indiana Sports Corp. estimates the festivities will have an economic impact of more than $400 million.
Fun fact: This is the first time one city will host NCAA DI, DII, DIII and NIT title games in a single weekend.
Here is everything you need to know before tip-off:
⛹️ The games
- 2026 NIT: April 2 and 5 at Hinkle Fieldhouse and Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
- NCAA Men's Final Four: April 4 and 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
- HBCU All-Star Game: April 5 at Corteva Coliseum.
- NCAA Division II and Division III men's championships: April 5 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
👮 Working the beat
- Terry said IMPD has adjusted staffing to put more officers downtown and will work with state and federal partners to ensure full coverage of districts throughout the city.
- In addition to officers patrolling on foot, bikes and in squad cars, police drones will be the department's eyes in the sky that will feed information to IMPD's Real-Time Crime Center.
- Local police will also be enforcing Indiana's curfew law, which says children ages 15-17 may not be unsupervised in a public place between 1am and 5am Saturday and Sunday; after 11pm Sunday-Thursday; and before 5am Monday-Friday.
- Children under 15 are not to be out after 11pm or before 5am on any day.
🛑 Road closures and detours
- Multiple major downtown roads will be inaccessible due to a combination of fan events and ongoing construction.
- Starting Sunday, North, St. Clair and Michigan streets will be closed between Meridian and Pennsylvania streets.
- Meridian Street will be closed between St. Clair and Michigan, and Pennsylvania will be down to one driving lane between St. Clair and Michigan.
- A map of all the closures, restrictions and detours can be found at this link.
🚨 Staying alert
- To keep fans in the loop, an emergency mass text service is being established specifically for the Final Four.
- To receive real-time public safety updates, text MFF2026 to 67283.
- When the weekend ends, registered numbers will be cleared from the system.