Going to Indianapolis? What fans need to know

PLAN EXTRA DRIVE TIME

The Indianapolis Department of Transportation warns that fans traveling north on Interstate 65 may be slowed by a pavement and bridge rehabilitation project between Seymour and Scottsburg coming from Louisville. Construction will be suspended between 1 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday. All four lanes will be open, but speed limits dip to as low as 45 miles per hour in the area.

Once there, Indianapolis boasts73,000 parking spots downtown. Officials with Visit Indy, the city's marketing arm, anticipate plenty for Friday. On Sunday, for the Regional Final session, street parking is free.

HOTELS GOING FAST

Rooms that rented for about $140 before last year's Midwest Regional are listed anywhere from $230 to $350 a night, according to Visit Indy. Most everything downtown is sold out. Morgan Greenlee, Visit Indy's senior communications manager, recommended Louisville residents still looking for a spot book hotels either on the far south or north sides of Indianapolis.

Demand for rooms from Louisville residents in particular is high. Hotels.com reported that compared to last week, searches on the website were up 536 percent. The change was "nowhere near as significant" from Lexington.

Tip for next year: Reserve a room in advance at the regional locations (or at leat the most likely one). You can always cancel.

WHERE TO EAT

A number of sports bars are located within walking distance of Lucas Oil Stadium, among them Basey's Downtown Grill & Spirits at 419 S West Street. The bar hosts tailgates outside when warm, and TVs line the walls inside.

Four blocks from the stadium are family-operated Ram Restaurant and Brewery (140 S Illinois Street) as well as Cadillac Ranch (39 W Jackson Place), one of the city's largest sports bars.

About six blocks away are Champions Sports Bar and Grill at the Marriott (350 W Maryland Street) and High Velocity Sports Bar (10 S West Street), known for its multi-dimensional TV wall.

For a more local experience, Visit Indy's Greenlee suggested Massachusetts Avenue (runs diagonally through downtown) and Fountain Square (southeast portion of the city). Both are minutes from Lucas Oil Stadium and "where you're going to find very local restaurants, boutique shopping and great neighborhood personalities."

PREGAME PARTIES

U of L's Alumni Association will gather at Colts Grille, 110 W Washington Street, and Champps Americana, 49 W. Maryland Street, starting at 3 p.m. Friday. An appearance from the U of L pep band and spirit squad is on tap, while both locations will host postgame parties as well for Cardinals supporters.

UK's Alumni Association is gathering at Tin Roof, 36 S Pennsylvania Street, starting at 4 p.m. on game day. The Wildcats' band and cheerleaders will also stop by at 6:30 p.m. ahead of tipoff. Should UK advance, it will have a similar event at Tin Roof on Sunday.

A TOUGH TICKET

The NCAA announced this week that Friday's session, which starts with Tennessee-Michigan before U of L and UK face off, is sold out. Combining 35,000 seats with general admission, more than 40,000 fans are expected at the stadium.

PrimeSport.com is the NCAA's official secondary ticket seller with tickets available online for an average $430. Fans can find potentially better deals at SeatGeek.com, a secondary seller that compares prices from all secondary vendors in one place.

If your team wins, you might have an easier time finding a ticket to Sunday's regional final from fans of one of the two losing teams.

MORE BASKETBALL SATURDAY

Counting on staying the weekend? Here's an idea: nearby Bankers Life Fieldhouse will host the IHSAA Basketball State Finals on Saturday. Separating the four games into a pair of sessions priced at $15 apiece, the first two-game session starts at 10:30 a.m. and second at 6 p.m.

The nightcap includes UK signee Trey Lyles' Arsenal Technical High School against Lake Central.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

The Lucas Oil Stadium website lists a number of local landmarks, from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the NCAA Hall of Champions, as attractions near the facility. Also minutes from the heart of the city is the Children's Museum of Indianapolis (3000 N Meridian Street), the Indianapolis Zoo (1200 S Washington Street), and Historic Central Canal (three miles north of Lucas Oil Stadium) ideal for strolls, jogging, biking and boating.

— Jonathan Lintner