A Letter from the Athletic
Director
Dear Friends of Hinkle Fieldhouse,
History. Heart. Hinkle.
These words tell of a special place in Indiana.
Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, Hinkle
Fieldhouse is the historic basketball arena of the Butler
University Bulldogs and much more.
Since its opening in 1928, Hinkle has hosted it all: seven
U.S. presidents, high school state championships, World War II U.S.
military barracks, the Butler Relays track meets featuring a world
record by legend Jesse Owens, a three-ring circus, a six-day
bicycle race, the roller derby, graduations, conventions, four
professional teams and more. The fieldhouse was originally called
Butler Fieldhouse, and was renamed in 1966 to honor Paul D. "Tony"
Hinkle, who coached at Butler for 41 seasons ending in
1970.
Coach Brad Stevens has said that Hinkle Fieldhouse
"is for somebody that appreciates tradition, somebody that
appreciates history. And oftentimes, those are people that
appreciate team."
I believe this appreciation is at the core of our
attitudinal guide…The Butler Way.
In 1987, Hinkle Fieldhouse was declared a National
Historic Landmark based on its role in "transforming college
basketball." Indeed, over the years, more than 5 million fans have
cheered the Butler Bulldogs in Hinkle Fieldhouse. Our nation also
learned of Hinkle through the 1985 film "Hoosiers" when actor Gene
Hackman and his team measured the height of the rim and announced
that it was 10 feet high, just like every other rim. His inspired
Cinderella team won the state championship just like in the
real-life story of Milan High School in 1954. For more than 40
years, the Indiana boys' basketball state champion was crowned at
Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Hinkle Fieldhouse has been at the heart of Butler
and Indiana pride for more than eight decades. With sunlight
streaming through the roof-level windows, a Saturday afternoon
spent watching basketball at Hinkle Fieldhouse is a hoop
enthusiast's dream. The court is so revered by players from every
decade that some call it the best ever.
Yet, time and weather have strained Hinkle's
venerable architecture. Renovations must be completed to maintain
the building's structural and historic integrity, as well as
improve its functionality as it begins its ninth decade of service
to Butler students and fans.
Butler wants to preserve Hinkle and provide an even
better experience for all who visit the Fieldhouse, while improving
the facilities and resources used by all student-athletes who
train, play, study and learn there.
Therefore, I invite you to participate in The
Campaign for Hinkle Fieldhouse. Please help
Hinkle continue as a place of heartwarming pride, where
Bulldog and Indiana history can continue for decades
to come.
Barry Collier '76
Athletic Director
Butler University