INDIANAPOLIS — Since Indianapolis landed the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, the goal of the Indiana Pacers and the host committee for the event has been to try to find a way to make the event as accessible as possible.
For an event that annually commands some of the highest ticket prices in American sports, that's not an easy task. It's a much more high-profile, celebrity-driven event than it was when Indianapolis last hosted in 1985. According to reporting from the Salt Lake Tribune in January, fans hoping to get into the 2023 All-Star Game hosted by the Utah Jazz had to pay at least $1,399 for an NBA Experience package that would get them into the game itself and at least $999 for a package that would get them into All-Star Saturday night, the event that includes the dunk contest and 3-point contest.
Part of the reason tickets are so expensive, though, is because demand so greatly exceeds the supply of seats in NBA arenas that rarely hold more than 20,000 people. So the committee decided the only way to make the event more accessible would be to take it somewhere that has more seats.
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The Pacers can't move the All-Star Game itself from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, so tickets for that event will still be very expensive. However, the host committee announced Wednesday in an event attended by Governor Eric Holcomb and Mayor Joe Hogsett that All-Star Saturday Night will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium. The configuration will be such that it can't be filled to its 70,000-seat capacity, but there will be around 35,000 seats which is nearly double the capacity of Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The committee also announced Wednesday it will put 10,500 tickets on sale on July 24, first to people in the state of Indiana, at ticket prices of $24, $49 and $79. Additionally, the host committee will purchase 2,400 tickets and distribute them to non-profits and community organizations.
Rick Fuson, the president and COO of Pacers Sports and Entertainment, said the directive to make the event accessible and inclusive came down from Pacers owner Herb Simon, and the host committee looked into all possible options to make that reality.
"Herb Simon and the family have always been about making sure we serve the community," Fuson said after the announcement. "Herb said a number of times, 'Hey, Indianapolis has done more for me and my family over the years than I'll ever be able to do for them.' To take this one step further and make sure we have an event for everybody, to be able to get them here from a transportation standpoint and be able to buy some tickets to be able to give to the community effort. That's important. That's what we do in Indianapolis. We want to make sure everyone can share."
Using Lucas Oil Stadium as a second venue required cooperation from a number of different entities, including the NBA and its television and media partners, but Fuson said the host committee considered getting approval to use it as a second venue was a high priority.
"It was not difficult with the NBA because they know how Indianapolis is successful," Fuson said. "And they're good, smart people in terms of being able to make sure that they too are sharing with the community. We've had a great partnership here and we're looking forward to having it here in February."
Holcomb and Hogsett were on hand in part to discuss ways the city and the state will add to the level of accessibility. IndyGo will make bus rides free from Feb. 15-18 throughout All-Star weekend. Hogsett also noted the bike share access that should make it easier for fans to come downtown for all the festivities.
"Sport is a great unifying force and it's a force for good," Holcomb said. "For us to be able to export our hospitality and all these venues, bring people together, few states can do it. We prove time and time again, we can do it differently. We can do it and take it to the next level. Being inclusive, being accessible, going out of your way to leave legacy projects in neighborhoods long after the game has moved on to the next city, this is what differentiates the state of Indiana and our capital city from the competition."
