Hoosier Hysteria and Indiana's basketball jokes at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

The annual Hoosier Hysteria event (the Indiana Pacers' season kickoff) and the area's longstanding enthusiasm for basketball are well documented in Indianapolis. Locals frequently joke that basketball is practically a religion in Indiana, a theme that recurs in coverage of Pacers events and statewide high-school tournament fandom. The Fieldhouse hosts many of those prominent basketball-related events that fuel that lighthearted local commentary.