Indianapolis and the WWE have all the makings of an unstoppable tag team.

Why it matters: WWE Royal Rumble, the second-largest WWE production of the year behind WrestleMania, is the first phase of a multiyear partnership poised to pump thousands of fans and millions of dollars into Indianapolis next weekend.

Driving the news: WWE Royal Rumble Local Organizing Committee officials said they plan to roll out the red carpet next week for the global entertainment brand.

• Expect a citywide transformation similar to what we saw for Taylor Swift and the NBA All-Star Weekend, including multiple art installations and downtown streets being renamed to celebrate different WWE stars.

By the numbers: This year could go down as one of the biggest Rumbles of all time, with the potential to surpass the biggest Rumble crowd in history when over 60,000 people traveled to the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, to witness the 1997 event.

• Officials expect a crowd of 65,000 to fill Lucas Oil, with 50% to 70% of attendees coming from outside the Indianapolis market.

Follow the money: In terms of overall economic impact, Celeste Ballou, senior vice president of marketing at Indiana Sports Corp., said Indianapolis-specific figures are not yet available, but other cities have seen an impact of "around $40 million and upwards from there."

Zoom in: Here are some of the ways that the WWE will make its presence felt in Indianapolis next week.

• WWE Night at Gainbridge is scheduled for Wednesday when the Pacers play the Detroit Pistons and fans will receive a bobblehead of Tyrese Haliburton wearing his own WWE merchandise.
• Sun King Brewery and World Famous Hot Boy have collaborated to create Spandex Super Slam, an English ale inspired by chicken and waffles.
• The dinosaurs outside the Children's Museum will wear WWE title belts.

What's next: To make sure Indy residents are ready to rumble, Axios Indianapolis is getting in on the hype by highlighting some of the WWE's top superstars throughout next week.

Go deeper

A program designed to help minority and first-generation low-income students succeed in college may be on the chopping block.

Why it matters: Indiana has struggled to boost its college-going rate, with just over half of high school graduates choosing to continue onto higher education.

• Increasing the number of minority, first-generation and low-income students going to college has been one of the state's strategies to boost educational attainment, as those groups tend to be underrepresented.

Driving the news: Gov. Mike Braun's budget proposal eliminates funding for the College Success Program, created by lawmakers in 2023 with a $2.5 million annual appropriation.

• It also eliminates a $2.5 million annual appropriation for Martin University, the state's only predominantly Black higher education institution.

How it works: The College Success Program, administered by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, has funded college success coaches at nearly two dozen campuses.

What they're saying: Rep. Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis, said Braun's proposal is "wrong on so many levels."

• "Sadly, this decision will continue to kill the hopes, dreams and aspirations of many students," Porter said in a statement.

The other side: Braun's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, told Axios this week it's too early in the budget process to say what his caucus will do, but he still supports the College Success Program.

Reality check: A final budget deal won't be struck until April, likely in the final days of the session.

What's next

🏈 Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has been named the 2024 Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year. (WRTV)

⚖️ Grand Universe Development Partners, the company with plans to build a $1.2 billion space exploration and science development in Westfield, has been accused of defrauding donors and owing more than $2 million in unpaid wages to its COO. (IndyStar)

🚧 East 71st Street is closed through Jan. 30 as road crews begin demolishing the I-465 South bridge. (CBS4)

🏎️ The IMS Museum is targeting an April 2 grand reopening date following the completion of $89 million renovation project that started in late 2023. (WISH)

📚 The Caitlin Clark Foundation has received a donation of 22,000 new children's books from Scholastic as the two entities establish an ongoing partnership. (FOX59)

The spread of influenza A, COVID and RSV is "high" or "very high" across much of the U.S. at the same time norovirus cases are well above normal levels, according to CDC data.

Why it matters: The result is "quad-demic" of illness hitting simultaneously in what's shaping up to be a more active virus season than last year.

The big picture: Flu activity is high or very high across 33 states and Washington, D.C., according to the CDC tracking of outpatient visits to health care providers for influenza-like illness.

Zoom in: So far, flu activity in Indiana is still in the "moderate" range.

• The state saw two flu-related deaths in the week ending Jan. 11 (the most recent data available) and 32 so far this flu season.

Wash your hands, cover your cough and other mitigation tips

Cirque du Soleil's high-flying circus spectacle is skating through Fishers Event Center this weekend.

What's happening: Cirque du Soleil CRYSTAL is putting on four shows at Hamilton County's new 7,500-seat venue.

• The concept puts the awe-inspiring acrobatics the brand is known for on ice while telling a story of self-discovery.
• It adapts seven traditional circus acts for the skating rink.

Fun fact: CRYSTAL is the first Cirque du Soleil production that uses real snow, and the team makes about 300 snowballs each week.

If you go: Shows start at 7pm tonight; 3pm and 7pm Saturday; and 1pm Sunday.

• Tickets start at $55.

Check out the rest of our picks for the weekend