Butler University’s Iconic Hinkle Fieldhouse to Host the NBA Cup Championship Game in December The NBA is going back to college this coming season, bringing the NBA Cup championship game to Butler’s historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Hinkle one of the oldest arenas in the country is iconic, and more than fits the billing that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and other league officials were looking for when he said the league was searching for “storied college arenas” to play host to the Cup final. The 2026-27 title game, to be played Dec. 11, will mark the first time the Cup final is held outside of Las Vegas — which hosted the final for the first three in-season tournaments. “Hinkle Fieldhouse offers a special setting to capture the excitement and drama of the Emirates NBA Cup Championship,” NBA Head of Global Events Kelly Flatow said. “Playing the championship in an iconic basketball environment like this will further establish it as a signature moment on the NBA calendar.”
The arena, which has about 9,100 seats, has played host to at least six U.S. presidents — Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush — along with the first U.S. vs. Soviet Union basketball games, circuses, tennis matches, ice shows and even was used as a barracks for the U.S. military during World War II. “Hinkle Fieldhouse gets loud,” Boston Celtics basketball operations president Brad Stevens said when he coached at Butler, “and it gets as loud as loud gets.”
Hinkle also was home of the famed Indiana high school basketball tournament for decades, including 1954 when tiny Milan High beat Muncie Central High to win the state title in the story that served as the inspiration for the classic basketball movie “Hoosiers” — which used Hinkle as the set for its championship game. Indianapolis native Oscar Robertson also played there; his Crispus Attucks High team won state titles in that arena in 1955 and 1956 as well. It also has been the site of NBA games in the past, along with some WNBA games in 2022. The Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023; the event was simply called the in-season tournament that year. Milwaukee won in 2024 and New York beat San Antonio for the 2025 title — in a preview of this season’s NBA Finals, in which the Knicks topped the Spurs again.
Former Indiana University Quarterback Brendan Sorsby will be Eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft Brendan Sorsby is moving on to 2027. The NFL sent a memo to all 32 teams on Tuesday informing them that Sorsby, a quarterback whose college career ended when the NCAA banished him for gambling activity that included wagers on his own team while on the roster at Indiana in 2022 and betting on pro sports, will not seek legal action against the NFL after the league denied his petition to enter the supplemental draft. “I accept 100% responsibility for my actions,” Sorsby posted on Instagram on Tuesday evening. “I did not have control of my gambling problem, and it took getting caught to realize that, but it was truly the best thing that could have happened to me.”
Sorsby, who moved from Indiana to Cincinnati to Texas Tech before revelations about an extensive gambling problem surfaced, tried to enter the draft just three days before the scheduled deadline. The league, which hasn’t held a supplemental draft since 2023 and hasn’t had a player selected in it since 2019, denied the petition. “The issues presented by your Petition are too significant, and too closely tied to the League’s core integrity interests, to permit meaningful review within the timeline presented,” NFL attorney Lawrence P. Ferazani Jr. wrote in a letter to Sorsby last week.
The 22-year-old Sorsby, who cannot play in the Canadian Football League in 2026, is now considered “draft-eligible” for the 2027 NFL draft. Sorsby will not be eligible to sign an NFL contract until the draft’s conclusion. The NFL has no plans to discipline Sorsby for any currently known prior misconduct but holds the right to investigate Sorsby. The league can also take Sorsby’s college misconduct into account should it find cause to discipline Sorsby in the future.
Sorsby’s decision to not challenge the NFL in court leaves him with 10 months on his hands to prepare. Sorsby had planned to play at Texas Tech this year before the NCAA declared him ineligible for making thousands of bets on sporting events worth at least $90,000 during his college career. Those included at least 40 bets on Indiana while he was a freshman there in 2022, though none on the games in which he played for the Hoosiers that season. “I am fully committed to being the best version of myself that I can be while getting ready for the 2027 draft,” Sorsby wrote. “God makes no mistakes and I look forward to seeing the good that is to come from this.”
Four Indiana University Football Players including both Linebackers earn Walter Camp Preseason All-American Honors Preseason accolades continue rolling in for Indiana football. Walter Camp announced its preseason All-Americans Tuesday, and four Hoosiers made the cut. Left tackle Carter Smith and defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker earned first team honors, while linebackers Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy were named to the second team. The linebacker duo, in particular, is a nice story for the Hoosiers. They entered the 2025 season a little overlooked, or at least not viewed as game-changing players. Indiana had Aiden Fisher as its defensive figurehead at linebacker, the team’s vocal leader. The 2024 squad paired Fisher with Jailin Walker, and there were real questions entering last season as to whether Hardy and Jones could adequately fill the void left by Walker’s departure. Obviously, both Hardy and Jones stepped up and excelled during IU’s national championship season. Both players earned All-Big Ten second team honors last year, and they were both crucial pieces for the Hoosiers during the College Football Playoff. Neither Hardy nor Jones will sneak up on anyone this year. They’re getting their flowers now. Both also picked up preseason recognition from Athlon Sports, and more plaudits are sure to roll in as the season gets closer.
Indiana University Softball’s Aly VanBrandt to Play with TC Colorado College All-Star Team Indiana Softball’s Aly VanBrandt will play for the TC Colorado College All-Star Team and compete in the Canada Cup. The team is sponsored by Triple Crown Sports and features a roster of top players in NCAA Division I Softball. The 2026 Canada Cup will take place from July 5-12 in Surrey, British Columbia. Team TC Colorado will play two exhibition games prior to the official tournament’s start before getting under way with pool play games and then finish with two days of bracket play. Pool play begins on July 5 for the overall tournament while TC Colorado will start pool play on July 6. Bracket play will occur from July 11-12, featuring both championship and consolation brackets. VanBrandt and TC Colorado are in Pool White. They’ll have matchups against Team Israel, Team Peru, Team Singapore, Team Saskatchewan 222’s, Team Canada Elite, Team American Samoa and Team Chinese Taipei. This is the second consecutive year that a Hoosier plays for TC Colorado in the Canada Cup as Avery Parker played for the 2025 team and helped lead the team to a cup championship and earned all-star honors.
Indiana Pacers Announce the 2026 Las Vegas Summer League Roster The Indiana Pacers announced on Tuesday their roster for 2026 Rookie/Free Agent Camp, which will take place Friday, July 3 – Tuesday, July 7 at the Ascension St. Vincent Center in preparation for the NBA 2K27 Summer League 2026 games, which will take place in Las Vegas from Thursday, July 9 – Sunday, July 19. Indiana’s Summer League roster and schedule are listed below.
Indiana Pacers 2026 Summer League Roster
| No. | Name | Pos | Ht. | Wt. | Birthdate | College/Native Country | NBA Years | Last Team |
| 15 | Keion Brooks Jr. | G/F | 6-7 | 210 | 8/7/2000 | Washington | 1 | Noblesville Boom (G League) |
| 7 | Cameron Hildreth | G | 6-4 | 195 | 9/18/2002 | Wake Forest/England | R | Noblesville Boom (G League) |
| 10 | MJ Iraldi | G/F | 6-6 | 190 | 8/31/2001 | Nova Southeastern | R | Noblesville Boom (G League) |
| 8 | Yuki Kawamura | G | 5-7 | 160 | 5/2/2001 | Japan | 2 | Chicago Bulls |
| 13 | Keba Keita | C | 6-8 | 230 | 8/20/2003 | Brigham Young/Mali | R | Brigham Young |
| 25 | Taevion Kinsey | G/F | 6-4 | 190 | 3/10/2000 | Marshall | R | Santa Cruz Warriors (G League) |
| 14 | Tamin Lipsey | G | 6-1 | 200 | 7/25/2003 | Iowa State | R | Iowa State |
| 51 | Rienk Mast | F/C | 6-10 | 250 | 7/19/2001 | Nebraska/Netherlands | R | Nebraska |
| 41 | Gabe McGlothan | F | 6-6 | 235 | 3/3/1999 | Grand Canyon | R | Noblesville Boom (G League) |
| 4 | Taelon Peter | G | 6-4 | 185 | 2/27/2002 | Liberty | 1 | Indiana Pacers |
| 65 | Alex Reese | F/C | 6-9 | 245 | 3/21/1999 | Alabama | 1 | Rip City Remix (G League) |
| 16 | Kowacie Reeves, Jr. | F | 6-7 | 205 | 1/31/2003 | Georgia Tech | R | Georgia Tech |
| 18 | Jalen Slawson | F | 6-7 | 215 | 10/22/1999 | Furman | 2 | Indiana Pacers |
| 3 | Braden Smith | G | 6-0 | 170 | 7/25/2003 | Purdue | R | Purdue |
| 20 | Jalen Warley | G | 6-7 | 205 | 2/9/2003 | Gonzaga | R | Gonzaga |
*Roster is subject to change.
PACERS SUMMER LEAGUE HEAD COACH: Johnny Carpenter, Virginia
NBA 2K27 NBA Summer League
Indiana Pacers Schedule
July 10-19, Las Vegas, Nevada
| Date | Time (EDT/PDT) | Visiting Team | Home Team | Arena | TV | |
| Friday, July 10 | 4:30/1:30 p.m. | Cleveland | vs. | Indiana | The Pavilion | ESPN2 |
| Saturday, July 11 | 5:30/2:30 p.m. | Indiana | vs. | Philadelphia | The Pavilion | Prime |
| Monday, July 13 | 4:30/1:30 p.m. | Toronto | vs. | Indiana | Thomas & Mack | ESPN2 |
| Wednesday, July 15 | 3:30/12:30 p.m. | Indiana | vs. | Minnesota | The Pavilion | Prime |
| July 17-19 | TBD | Semifinals/Consolation Round | ||||
| Sunday, July 19 | 9:00/6:00 p.m. | Championship | Thomas & Mack | ESPN |
Indianapolis Based Rowers Clean Up at the United States Youth Rowing Championships in Florida When you think about rowing, you probably think about the East Coast or West Coast not so much the Midwest or Indianapolis. However, tucked away at Eagle Creek Park is the Indianapolis Rowing Center (IRC), where athletes are proving all stereotypes wrong and succeeding at a national level. “We’re just a little Midwestern team fighting these big East Coast and West Coast powerhouses and having a really good time beating them,” said Nich Holston, a coach at IRC. Within Eagle Creek Park sits Eagle Creek Reservoir and the IRC. The reservoir boasts an eight-lane rowing course — one of just 13 in the entire nation. “The experience that (Eagle Creek Reservoir) is able to give you is completely unparalleled,” said rower Kayden Coddens, a Brebeuf Jesuit graduate and future Yale rower. “I trained this year a lot on the Mississippi River, and we came out here three times just to get stints on this course because we are so lucky to have it, and it’s such a great training environment.”
This year, the IRC had eight boats and 28 junior athletes qualify for the USRowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Florida. These athletes represent not only Indianapolis, but schools such as Carmel, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Guerin Catholic, Brebeuf Jesuit and Fishers. Coddens has been training with the IRC for six years and quickly fell in love with the sport. “Rowing is a sport where you get out what you put in,” Coddens said. “In a lot of other things, a lot of it just comes down to talent. In rowing, there really is absolutely zero shortcut to the hard work. At the end of the day, whoever works the hardest is going to end up winning.”
The athletes at Eagle Creek Park clearly have been working hard. Earlier in June, those who participated in nationals secured three gold medals and five bronze medals. “It’s really such a monumental thing for the club to be able to reach this level of success,” Coddens said. “Not just through me, but through all the other guys and girls out here putting in the same level of work — and to really know that that is a possibility for us coming out of the Midwest.”
“It’s been great growing with all of my friends and just being able to compete at such high levels has been such a privilege,” Mary Bain, Brownsburg graduate and future rower at The Catholic University of America. “It was the best way I could have ended my youth rowing career with one of my best friends.” “In the Midwest, we don’t typically go up against a lot of the competitive East and West Coast teams,” said Devyn Hansen, a bronze medal winner and Carmel rising senior. “It was just really exciting to go against some of the fastest teams in the country and see where we place.”
Even more impressive to all of those involved is the way the sport is growing, not only in Indianapolis, but in the Midwest. “Nothing really has been expected of us,” Holston said. “When you start getting that reputation and you pull into a regatta and they say, ‘Oh, God! Indianapolis is here!’ That’s a complete shift from what it used to be.” “Being from the Midwest, it’s not a very well-known sport here,” Bain continued. “I think coming home with a medal really shows that anyone anywhere can succeed if they put the effort into it.” “Going from a team of about 60 people to over 100 on the junior team alone is honestly amazing,” said Sofia Suarez, a Zionsville senior. “We are a family. Our first strokes program — which is 150 people — is one of the biggest learn-to-row programs. Seeing that grow has been awesome, as well.” The success and growth of the Indianapolis Rowing Center and its athletes over the past five to six years has been impressive. To learn more about the center and its programs, click here.
New Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Exhibit to Recognize Jeff Gordon’s Racing Career The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum announced on Monday that it will recognize a NASCAR legend in its newest exhibit. The IMS Museum will celebrate Jeff Gordon’s life and legacy in “Jeff Gordon,” which is an exhibit that opened on Wednesday. The “Jeff Gordon” exhibit will replace both lower-level rotating galleries “Now Stay Tuned” and “Setting the Pace.”
“Jeff Gordon is one of the most influential drivers in NASCAR history, but he is also a prolific figure in Indiana racing history and culture,” Jason Vansickle, IMS Museum vice president of curation and education, said in a news release. “We begin by highlighting his early career, growing up in Pittsboro, Indiana, and of course, his unmatched success here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Brickyard 400.” Gordon’s success at Indianapolis Motor Speedway includes five Brickyard 400 victories. It’s the most wins that any driver has ever had at the Brickyard 400. The exhibit will look at Gordon’s entire racing career, from his early roots driving quarter midgets to his stock car career.
Racing fans know just how memorable his stock car driving career was. He is a four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and was inducted in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2019. “I was incredibly honored when the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum reached out with the idea for this exhibit,” Gordon said in the news release. “It is the largest collection of my personal memorabilia ever displayed to the public, and I couldn’t think of a better place for it than here at Indy, which had such a significant impact on my career. Countless hours went into putting this exhibit together, and I’m grateful to the IMS Museum team, my family and Hendrick Motorsports for their contributions. Walking through the exhibit for the first time will be a truly special experience and bring back a lot of memories. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I will.”
“Thirteen cars from every era of his career will be on display, from a 1985 sprint car to Brickyard 400, Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600-winning stock cars with his iconic No. 24 rainbow and flame liveries,” according to the news release. Meanwhile, there will also be the following “never-before-displayed” items that will be part of the exhibit: His first-ever trophy from a bicycle race in 1976. The first Jeff Gordon T-shirt from 1978. The firesuit from his first sprint car win in 1986. The Williams Formula 1 steering wheel Gordon used when he swapped seats with Juan Pablo Montoya at IMS in 2003. This will be the first time in the IMS Museum’s history that an entire exhibit has been dedicated to a single NASCAR driver. The “Jeff Gordon” exhibit will be open until February 2027.