Indianapolis' biggest basketball weekend of 2026 tips off Thursday.

Why it matters: Tens of thousands of fans are expected to participate in programming centered around several different tournaments.

• That includes the men's Final Four; the Division II and Division III men's championship games; the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) men's semifinals and championship; and the HBCU All-Star Game.

State of play: It's the first time one city will host the NCAA DI, DII, DIII and NIT title games in a single weekend.

• The festivities will have an estimated economic impact of more than $400 million.

Yes, but: The weekend is about more than basketball. Fans will get access to events like a free music fest headlined by Post Malone, a celebration of local culture and an exhibition of the food that gives Indy its flavor.

Zoom in: Here's everything you need to make the next five days a slam dunk.

🏀 On the court

• The Final Four begins Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium with Illinois vs. UConn at 6:09 p.m., followed by Michigan vs. Arizona. Winners will battle for the NCAA title at 8:30pm Monday.

🎵 On the stage

• Downtown's American Legion Mall will be the site of the three-day NCAA March Madness Music Festival that Post Malone will close out Sunday night.
• Seating for the free festival is first-come, first-served. Fans can start lining up at 7am each day.

🙌 For the fans

• The NCAA Final Four Fan Fest Friday-Monday at the Indiana Convention Center will feature interactive games, celebrity appearances and autograph signings.
• It's open noon-6pm Friday, 10am-8pm Saturday, noon-6pm Sunday and noon-8pm Monday.
• Tickets are $15. Kids 12 and under get in free with the purchase of an adult ticket.

More games, music and food

While the Final Four's arrival means big fun for hoops fans, it also means big headaches for downtown drivers.

Why it matters: A combination of fan events and ongoing construction will leave some of the city's most vital thoroughfares temporarily inaccessible.

Driving the news: Starting Friday, Pennsylvania and Meridian streets will be closed between St. Clair and Michigan streets for the three-day music festival at American Legion Mall.

• St. Clair, North and Michigan streets will be closed between Meridian and Pennsylvania streets for the event.
• Georgia Street between Illinois Street and Capitol Avenue will be home to the free Final Four Tip-Off Tailgate.
• South Street will be closed between Missouri and Capitol avenues; Capitol will be closed between Maryland and South streets; and Illinois Street will be closed from South to Georgia streets for all the action at Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center.

Starting Saturday, South Street will be closed between West and Missouri streets, and between Capitol Avenue and Illinois Street.

• On Sunday, portions of Washington and New York streets will be closed from 12:30-2:30pm for the Final Four Dribble competition, an event that will see thousands of kids dribble their way through a one-mile course from Carroll Stadium to Victory Field.
• A map of all the closures, restrictions and detours can be found at this link.

Pro tip: For up-to-date road closures directions around the city, download the Men's Final Four Event App.

• To receive real-time public safety updates, text MFF2026 to 67283.

"There's no greater evil than those who seek and do harm to our children, so I appreciate all the hard work."

✍️ Gov. Mike Braun signed two bills aimed at protecting Hoosier kids into law yesterday, with the parents of Hailey Buzbee by his side. The Fishers' teen was missing for nearly a month before her body was found in Ohio in February.

• The tragedy spurred lawmakers to pass new restrictions on social media use for kids and to update the state's alert system for missing youths.
• Beau Buzbee said the new laws give him hope and will serve as a baseline for the work still to come on the alert system. (Background via Axios)

📺 Most of the WRTV staff was let go this week after the station was acquired by Circle City Broadcasting, which also owns WISH-TV. (IndyStar)

🏞️ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park reopens Saturday after a nearly $7 million renovation.

• The day marks the anniversary of King's assassination and Robert F. Kennedy's speech from the park, announcing the news — an event commemorated by the Kennedy-King Memorial inside the park on the city's near northside. (Mirror Indy)

🎓 Hundreds of degree programs will be eliminated from Indiana's public colleges and universities after a vote from the state's higher education commission targeting low-enrollment degrees, as dictated by a state law passed last year. (WISH-TV)

Celebrated Indian restaurant Aroma is preparing for its return to downtown.

Driving the news: Signage has gone up and work is underway inside 110 S. Pennsylvania St., the former home of Gallery Pastry Bar.

• Owner Vinita Singh told IBJ last year she hopes to serve lunchtime crowds for downtown businesses at the new location, across the street from Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

State of play: Aroma first opened in Fletcher Place in 2021, expanding to SoBro in 2022 and Carmel's City Center in 2024.

• All three locations have since closed.
• An opening date for the new restaurant has yet to be announced, but Aroma's website says it's coming soon.

Colorectal cancer is now the deadliest cancer for Americans under 50, per new JAMA research.

Why it matters: Screening more young adults for colorectal cancer could save lives.

• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force lowered its recommended starting age for screening from 50 to 45 in 2021, meaning most insurers are now required to cover it starting at that age.

By the numbers: Colorectal cancer cases in people under 50 have risen nearly 60% since the early 2000s — from about 6.4 per 100,000 people to more than 10 — per NCI and CDC data.

• And three in four colorectal cancer patients under 50 are diagnosed only after the disease has already spread, per the American Cancer Society.

Zoom in: In Indiana, cases in people under 50 have risen from 6.6 per 100,000 Hoosiers in 2005 to roughly 10.8 in 2022.

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