This is the third time in two years Indianapolis has hosted an MSU postseason game. Just 15 months ago, MSU football made the trek down to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship game to take on Wisconsin. MSU lost, 42-39. Three months later, the city played host to the Big Ten basketball tournament, where the Spartans earned a trophy at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. MSU fans can only hope this trip to Indy ends more like the latter than the former.

‘Zoned out

Van Oostenburg and about 20 others lined up outside the Izzone office Tuesday for a chance to purchase one of the roughly 40 tickets available through the MSU student section. However, that does not mean the Spartans will be poorly represented. While it can’t compete with Chicago in terms of sheer numbers, Indianapolis is a significant hub for MSU alumni. Rick Doyle, president of the MSU Alumni of Central Indiana, estimated the number of MSU alumni in the Indianapolis area to be “a couple thousand,” and said the association maintains a database of 500 area alumni email addresses.

Besides the 40 tickets sold directly by the Izzone, Izzone members also will make the journey south on their own. Brandon Heins, one of the Izzone’s co-directors, said he would be at the game with his family.

“I grew up around MSU, my family are all MSU fans,” Heins said. “My grandparents have gone to every MSU Final Four game since 1979.”

Oh, the places you’ll go

Having made it to Indianapolis, the next question is what to do before and after the game. Or, for those who make the trip without tickets, what to do during the game.

That’s where Doyle comes in. Doyle and the rest of his organization will host a watch party for the game at the Fox & Hound Bar & Grill, 4901 E. 82nd St., in Indianapolis. Doyle said the association gathers there for most MSU football and basketball games. There were 50-some MSU fans present for last weekend’s games, he said. After the game, Doyle said he plans to make his way to the Slippery Noodle Inn, 372 S. Meridian St., for what he hopes will be a celebration.

“Even though there’s an opportunity to go to the game, we anticipate a fairly decent crowd (at the Fox & Hound,)” he said. “Our plan would be to head downtown and celebrate the victory at the Slippery Noodle.”

The Alumni Association also has pregame boredom covered. The Spartans will hold an open practice this afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium, from 1-1:50 p.m. Doyle said he and some other alumni will be there.

Friday, before the game starts at 9:45 p.m., there will be a pep rally from 5-6:30 p.m. at the team’s hotel, the Westin Indianapolis, 50 S. Capitol Ave., featuring head coach Tom Izzo, Sparty, the Spartan Brass and others. The rally is free, but pre-registration is required through the MSU Alumni Association’s website.

Less officially, Doyle suggested students looking for a younger group to hang out with try the area around Butler University, north of downtown Indianapolis.

“There are lots of fun bars in that area,” he said. “There’s so much to do.”

For those looking to tour the town, there are plenty of sights to see, he said. The NCAA Hall of Champions is about a mile away from Lucas Oil Stadium, and there are numerous museums in and around downtown Indianapolis.

What comes next

In the event of an MSU victory on Friday, the Spartans will play again in Indianapolis on Sunday against the winner of the matchup between No. 1 seed Louisville and No. 12 seed Oregon. Doyle said he hasn’t made any plans at this point — officially or unofficially — for the rest of the weekend, but he suspects Saturday would be pretty quiet.

“(There will) probably not be a whole lot of activity,” he said, chuckling. “I suspect everyone’s going to recover on Saturday.”

At press time, more than 400 tickets for Friday’s game still were available on StubHub, with prices ranging from $118 to $1,800.

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