INDIANAPOLIS – Two of college basketball’s top teams entering the 2020-21 season, Gonzaga and Baylor, will stage this year’s marquee non-conference tilt Dec. 5 at 1 p.m. ET at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis, perhaps offering a preview of what could come in Lucas Oil Stadium at the conclusion of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
CBS Sports will broadcast and produce the game, which will mark the start of the Network’s 2020-21 NCAA basketball coverage on the CBS Television Network. Intersport, a sports marketing and media agency based in Chicago, will lead the event operations.
With the Circle City serving as the backdrop for the 2021 national championship, Indianapolis will bookend the college basketball season with one of the sport’s most highly anticipated contests. Gonzaga and Baylor enter the season widely considered the country’s top two programs, ranking No. 1 and No. 2 in CBSSports.com’s Top 25 and 1, respectively. Additionally, either Baylor or Gonzaga was the No. 1 ranked team in the AP poll for nine consecutive weeks (Gonzaga from Dec. 23 to Jan. 19; Baylor from Jan. 20 to Feb. 23) last season.
Gonzaga, a 31-win team last year, welcomes back an all-conference worthy nucleus of Corey Kispert, Joel Ayayi and Drew Timme and also adds three top-100 freshmen to its roster, headlined by top-10 prospect Jalen Suggs. Baylor, which won 26 games and recorded its best overall winning percentage in program history (.867) in 2019-20, returns its top three leading scorers in All-America candidate Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell and MaCio Teague, along with Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist Mark Vital.
The game will be played with no fans in attendance, part of a controlled environment in Indianapolis coordinated by Pacers Sports & Entertainment and Indiana Sports Corp. Organizers will work with the Marion County Health Department to implement appropriate COVID-19 protocols, as well, to help protect the health and safety all of players, coaches and staff.
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Media Contacts:
Intersport: Dan Mihalik (dmihalik@intersport.global; 219-688-9981)
CBS Sports: Randall Liu (Randall.liu@cbs.com; 212-975-5936)
Pacers Sports & Entertainment: Danny Lopez (dlopez@pacers.com; 317-985-7048)
Indiana Sports Corp: Brett (Williams) Kramer (bkramer@indianasportscorp.org; 317-331-0062)
Baylor: David Kaye (david_kaye@baylor.edu; 254-709-5147)
Gonzaga: Barrett Henderson (hendersonb@gonzaga.edu; 509-313-4288)
About Indiana Sports Corp
Founded in 1979 as the nation’s first sports commission, Indiana Sports Corp is a not-for-profit organization focused on bringing premier sporting events to Indiana to drive economic vitality, facilitate a vibrant community with civic pride and garner positive media attention. Because of this, Indiana Sports Corp is able to provide positive, sports-related opportunities for youth in the community. For more information, please visit IndianaSportsCorp.org.
About Intersport
Since 1985, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports, lifestyle, culinary and entertainment-based marketing platforms. With expertise in Sponsorship Consulting, Experiential Marketing, Hospitality, Retail Engagement, Content Marketing, Productions and Property Creation, this Chicago-based Marketing & Media Solutions Company helps its clients engage consumers with compelling ideas, content and experiences. To learn more about Intersport, visit www.intersport.global, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
About Pacers Sports & Entertainment
Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) is an integrated sports and entertainment company including the Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Pacers Gaming, Pacers Foundation, Inc., and operations of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Our team of inspired and dedicated employees has a shared purpose of WINNING through our commitment to excellence, SERVING our local communities and ENTERTAINING our fans and guests. PS&E is based in Indianapolis and was named a 2018 Best Place to Work by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.