INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan fans Glenn and Elizabeth Pluhar, now retired, have time on their hands. It’s time to follow the Wolverines to their third straight Big Ten Championship.
“We’ll always try to get here when Michigan is here,” Elizabeth Pluhar said.
The Plohars live a few hours north of Ann Arbor, a four-hour drive from Indianapolis. They haven’t had the opportunity to be in the championship game before this year, but so far, Indianapolis has exceeded expectations.
“I’m amazed at how clean the city is,” Glenn Pluhar said. “There seemed to be a lot to do, although we didn’t have the luxury of spending much time here since we arrived by car.”
Indianapolis has hosted the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium since its inception in 2011. With Washington, Oregon, UCLA and USC joining the conference next year, the Big Ten said it will consider offers from a variety of cities — including On the west coast.
more:What happens in Vegas may not be the Big Ten Football Championship Game
Before the Big Ten Championship game between Michigan and Iowa on Saturday, IndyStar spoke to Michigan and Iowa fans outside the stadium
Both fan bases agree on one thing: They don’t want the Big Ten Championship Game to move to the West Coast, whether that’s Las Vegas, Southern California or elsewhere.
“Indy has a reputation for putting on a good show for events,” Michigan fan Jake Castle said. “It’s also a good neutral location.”
Proximity was one of the main factors Castle likes about Indianapolis as a host — no matter which current Big Ten team makes the tournament, he said, it’s in the same part of the country.
Dave Rosendahl, an Iowa State fan who now lives in Missouri, also likes the proximity. Iowa City is about five and a half hours from Indianapolis; Where Rosendahl lives is about seven hours away.
“It’s an easy, easy ride to get here,” Rosendahl said. “There’s plenty of room to spread out, and it’s a great place.”
When it comes to the Big Ten Championship Game, Michigan fan Joe Velez doesn’t think there’s any competitive advantage with West Coast teams potentially coming to the east side of the country.
“I think it’s nice for them to be in the Big Ten Championship game,” Velez said. “They’ve already had to beat teams on the East Coast, and I don’t think having them here would be a big enough advantage for one of the original Big Ten teams.”
Before the game reaches the West Coast, Rosendahl believes these teams need to prove themselves.
“I know they’re bringing in those schools from the West Coast, so I’m sure that’s what helps make that decision,” Rosendahl said. “I think, though, that if they’re going to come to the Big Ten, they should come to the Midwest.
“Let’s let them develop and get into the conference first, and then if they have good years of work here, so be it.”
