CROSSROADS CLASSIC
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Crossroads Classic
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Event: Crossroads Classic
Sport: NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball
Location: Indianapolis, Ind.
Arena: Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Date: Dec. 21, 2019
Crossroads Classic Tickets
The Crossroads Classic brings together the top basketball schools from the state of Indiana for a special one-night event every year. The four teams are the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Purdue Boilermakers and the Indiana Hoosiers from the Big Ten and the Butler Bulldogs from the Big East Conference. The teams hail from South Bend, West Lafayette, Bloomington and Indianapolis, respectively. The Crossroads Classic is the creation of former Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke. He approached the athletic directors at the other three schools, who agreed almost immediately to meet for an annual series. The Crossroads Classic was actually based on an idea that had been tried briefly in the 1950s but that did not last. Since the new Crossroads Classic began in 2011, however, it has become a popular tradition that takes place in the week or two leading up to Christmas. The name of the series was derived from the term Crossroads of America, which is one of the nicknames of the state. Purchase Crossroads Classic tickets at StubHub.What is the format of the Crossroads Classic?
The Crossroads Classic is a two-game event. There is no tournament or round-robin. Two teams simply play each other in back-to-back games. However, the matchups change slightly each year. In odd number years, Butler plays Purdue, and Notre Dame plays Indiana. In even years, Butler plays Indiana, and Notre Dame plays Purdue. To date, Purdue and Indiana have never played each other in the classic since they already face each other once or twice a year in Big Ten play. Butler and Notre Dame have likewise never played each other either in the series.When does the current Crossroads Classic take place?
The 2019 iteration of the Crossroads Classic takes place on Saturday, Dec. 21. Notre Dame and Indiana play at noon, while the Butler and Purdue game follows at 2:30 p.m. Purdue comes into the season ranked at No. 23 in the AP poll, and Notre Dame received votes just outside of the top 25.What is the seating capacity of the Bankers Life Fieldhouse?
Located in downtown Indianapolis, the Bankers Life Fieldhouse has an approximate seating capacity of 18,500 for basketball games. Apart from standard seating, there are also suites and courtside seating. The arena has a wide selection of bars, beer carts, restaurants and lounges, including Sugarfire, Kona Ice, Mimi Blue, Maui Waui, Dippin’ Dots and Steak N’ Shake. Local craft beer is also available throughout the arena. Opened in 1999, Bankers Life Fieldhouse is the official home of the Indiana Pacers from the NBA.What is a Crossroads Classic game like?
The Crossroads Classic is one of the few out-of-conference events in the country to feature teams from the same state. Despite taking place a neutral venue, however, the event often has the electric atmosphere of a home game. The teams bring their cheer sections, their spirit squads and their bands to the game.What was the result from the previous Crossroads Classic?
In the 2018 Crossroads Classic, No. 25 Indiana triumphed over Butler 71-68 on a buzzer-beater (Hoosier Juwan Morgan scored an astonishing 35 points in victory, though Rob Phinisee made the actual three-point jumper to win it). Notre Dame, meanwhile, beat Purdue 88-80. However, the most memorable Crossroads Classic was perhaps the 2016 version. This was the only year in which all four teams were ranked in the top 25 polls at the time of the game. That season, No. 18 Butler held off a late rally from No. 9 Indiana by a score of 83-78, while No. 15 Purdue beat No. 21 Notre Dame 86-81.Back to TopEpic events and incredible deals straight to your inbox.