Conseco Fieldhouse

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Lore & Background

Despite a parade of corporate name changes—from Conseco to Bankers Life to Gainbridge—the arena's soul stayed stubbornly blue. It wasn't just a stage for the Pacers' playoff battles; it also cradled the Indiana Fever's WNBA dynasty (though their 2012 championship run was hosted under the Bankers Life Fieldhouse name) and swallowed the roar of sold-out concerts, from Pearl Jam to Taylor Swift. This building became the city's shared living room, where basketball and culture bled together on the same polished hardwood.

In Their Own Story

The first NBA game held at Conseco Fieldhouse was on November 6, 1999, when the Indiana Pacers played their regular-season home opener against the Boston Celtics. Later that same season, the Pacers made it to the 2000 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Games 3, 4, and 5 of that championship series were held at Conseco Fieldhouse, but the Pacers ended up losing that season's title four games to two. In 2000, the fieldhouse was also the site for the 2000 Ray Miron President's Cup finals, with two games of the series being played there. The Indianapolis Ice won the series against the now-defunct Columbus Cottonmouths 4 games to 3. Several games of the 2002 FIBA World Championship were played at Conseco Fieldhouse, including the semifinals and the final. In 2009, the fieldhouse was the site for the 2009 WNBA Finals. The Indiana Fever took on the Phoenix Mercury for games 3 and 4 of that series but ended up losing the series. Three years later, the Fever hosted the 2012 WNBA Finals for games 3 and 4 and beat the Minnesota Lynx.

Reader's Guide

Walking into Conseco Fieldhouse was like stepping into a blue-walled thunderstorm. Visiting teams dreaded it: the noise during free throws wasn't just loud—it was a weapon, a psychological battering ram that bent games. Fans didn't just show up; they arrived hours early, flooding the concourses in a sea of Pacers jerseys, their voices warming up like the players on the court. The arena's steep, intimate design meant every seat felt like courtside, every cheer a personal assault on the opponent. Traditions ran deep: standing ovations for retired legends that lasted through entire timeouts, and chants that morphed from 'Beat 'em' into something almost tribal. Even after the name changed—first to Bankers Life, then Gainbridge—the building's identity never wavered. It remained a fortress of Hoosier hoops, a place where the echo of a buzzer-beater could still be heard in the rafters decades later.

Did You Know?

• The arena was originally named Conseco Fieldhouse after the financial firm Conseco, based in nearby Carmel, Indiana.
• In 2005 and 2006, Conseco Fieldhouse was ranked the No. 1 venue in the NBA according to the Sports Business Journal/Sports Business Daily Reader Survey.
• On March 11, 2019, Metallica set a new attendance record at the venue with 18,274 fans, surpassing the previous record held by Billy Joel (16,594).
• The arena hosted games 3, 4, and 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals, but the Pacers ended up losing that season's title four games to three.
• In October 2004, the fieldhouse hosted the 2004 FINA Short Course World Swimming Championships, with a temporary 25-meter 300,000-gallon competition pool and 174,000-gallon warm-up pool installed.