Indiana Renames Interstate 70 the ‘Hoosier Hoops Highway’ from Terre Haute to Richmond
If you think of one thing when it comes to Indiana, it is certainly corn, err, basketball. Totally basketball. The state is hosting the 2021 NCAA tournament entirely within its borders. To honor this year's unique tournament going all-Hoosier, the state has re-branded one of its main interstate routes, I-70 as the Hoosier Hoops Highway.
The tournament will be based in Indianapolis but also held at venues in the state's premier college towns, Bloomington (IU) West Lafayette (Purdue) and Evansville (Purple Aces!).
I-70 crosses the midsection of Indiana from Terre Haute, home of Indiana State University which was snubbed as a host city, to Richmond, on the Ohio border. Also snubbed along the I-70 corridor was Muncie and Ball State University, just 20 miles north of the newly branded Hoosier Hoops Highway. South Bend's Notre Dame University also is bypassed. It is along the Indiana Toll Road which is Interstate 80/90.
You might wonder where Hickory, the small town featured in the classic basketball movie Hoosiers is. And is it along the Hoops Highway? The answer is no. Hickory is make-believe, but the town it's loosely based on, Milan, is in the southwest of the state near Cincinnati near Interstate 74.
Other highways in the state will also receive the Hoosier Hoops Highway rebranding as the Indiana Department of Transportation says they'll be installing the signs along interstates leading to tournament sites. So expect I-69 (Bloomington and Evansville), I-65 which serves West Lafayette, as well as the loop route that contributes to Indianapolis's Circle City nickname, I-465, will also get the special shield.
InDOT has shared photos on their Facebook page showing the changeover of the interstate shields:
As Indiana is the 'Crossroads of America' many of the state's highways will lead you eventually to the best cities in the Midwest. Here's a look at the top-ranked locales: