WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.973 >>GERRY: THE 2021 NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR WAS ON THE DISTANT HORIZON WHEN OUR NEXT GUEST ASSUMED THE ROLE OF LUCAS OIL 2 00:00:06.973 --> 00:00:11.811 STADIUM DIRECTOR, LITTLE DID HE, OR ANYONE, KNOW HOW IT WOULD PLAY OUT. BILL BENNER HAS MORE IN THIS 3 00:00:11.811 --> 00:00:18.351 WEEK'S INSIDE INDIANA SPORTS. >>BILL: GERRY, THANK YOU. AFTER A 10-YEAR STINT AT ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT 4 00:00:18.351 --> 00:00:24.524 INDIANA UNIVERSITY, ERIC NEUBURGER TOOK OVER STADIUM DIRECTOR DUTIES IN 2017, AND NOW HE IS POISED TO LEAD INDIANA'S 5 00:00:24.524 --> 00:00:30.630 LARGEST VENUE THROUGH THE CULMINATION OF THE MOST UNUSUAL TOURNAMENT EVER, HOSTING BOTH ELITE EIGHT AND FINAL FOUR 6 00:00:30.630 --> 00:00:39.973 GAMES. AND ERIC JOINS US ON THE PROGRAM, WELCOME ... HOW ARE YOU DOING? 7 00:00:39.973 --> 00:00:49.315 >>: DOING GREAT. THANKS FOR HAVING ME, BILL. >>: YOU POSTED FIRST AND SECOND ROUND GAINS SO LET'S TALK ABOUT 8 00:00:49.315 --> 00:00:56.790 HOW THAT WENT TO LUCAS OIL STADIUM. >>: FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS ONE FANTASTIC. 9 00:00:56.790 --> 00:01:06.633 THE FANS WERE HAPPY TO ATTEND HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE AND PARTICIPATED GIVE US GREAT FEEDBACK. 10 00:01:06.633 --> 00:01:15.809 >>: AN UNEXPECTED BONUS I GUESS IS THE WAY TO PUT IT WAS AGAIN THE UNEXPECTED THAT LUCAS OIL STADIUM HAD A DRESS REHEARSAL OF 11 00:01:15.809 --> 00:01:23.383 REAL BASKETBALL BUT A DRESS REHEARSAL FOR THE LUCAS OIL STADIUM BASKETBALL SET UP WHEN THE BIG TEN ANNOUNCED THE MEN'S 12 00:01:23.383 --> 00:01:31.391 TOURNAMENT WOULD BE THERE. HOW VALUABLE WAS THAT TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF? >>: IT WAS HUGELY VALUABLE. 13 00:01:31.391 --> 00:01:38.998 WE FOUND OUT ON FEBRUARY 9 THAT ON MARCH 10 WE WOULD BE GIVEN THE BIG TEN MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT AT LUCAS OIL STADIUM. 14 00:01:38.998 --> 00:01:48.875 IT ALLOWED US TO GET OUR SET UP IN PLACE WEEKS EARLIER ALLOWED US TO HAVE FANTASTIC GAMES LEADING UP TO THE NCAA AND GAVE 15 00:01:48.875 --> 00:01:57.317 ALL OF OUR CREW A LITTLE EXTRA TIME TO PREPARE. >>: AND NOW AS WE MOVE TOWARD THE ELITE EIGHT AND FINAL FOR 16 00:01:57.317 --> 00:02:08.127 THE UNIQUE THING FOR THE ELITE EIGHT IS YOU HAVE TO USE COURTS CALLED THE EQUALITY AND UNITY COURT ONE ON THE NORTH SIDE AND 17 00:02:08.127 --> 00:02:19.172 ONE ON THE SOUTH SIDE. AND CERTAINLY THAT GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH THEN AGAIN SOMETHING 18 00:02:19.172 --> 00:02:26.112 UNIQUE AND I KNOW YOU DID IT IN THE FIRST ROUND, BUT SOMETHING UNIQUE TO LUCAS OIL STADIUM TO HAVE TWO COURTS. 19 00:02:26.112 --> 00:02:33.219 >>: THAT IS RIGHT. WE WILL HAVE A GAME ON THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH FOR EACH OF THE TWO DAYS OF THE ELITE EIGHT. 20 00:02:33.219 --> 00:02:40.527 WE DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE WILL GO FIRST, WE ARE AWAITING BROADCAST DECISIONS BUT IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO CLEAN AND MAKE 21 00:02:40.527 --> 00:02:48.134 SURE EACH COURT IS SET AND READY TO GO. >>: AS UNIQUE AS THIS EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE 22 00:02:48.134 --> 00:02:57.610 ADVANTAGES WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IS THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE STAFF WHO ACTUALLY GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE HOOSIER DOME DAYS SO YOU 23 00:02:57.610 --> 00:03:06.152 HAVE AN EXPERIENCED CREW WORKING WITH YOU AT LUCAS OIL STADIUM. >>: WE DO. THE STAFF LIVES FOR THESE 24 00:03:06.152 --> 00:03:13.326 MOMENTS THESE ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES SO MANY REASONS FOLKS DECIDED TO WORK FOR US IT'S NOT EASY WORK WHEN WE GO 25 00:03:13.326 --> 00:03:21.568 BACK ALL THE WAY TO THE FINAL FOUR WHERE WE HAVE FOLKS ON STAFF WHO HAVE BIG PARTS IN MAKING THAT SUCCESSFUL. 26 00:03:21.568 --> 00:03:30.243 >>: TALK ABOUT A TEN STEP FOR THE ELITE EIGHT AND THE DIFFERENT COURTS BEING USED AND THEN THE FINAL FOR ITSELF, WHAT 27 00:03:30.243 --> 00:03:36.583 DO YOU ANTICIPATE IN TERMS OF THIS. >>: THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF ATTENDANCE FOR US AS BEING ABLE 28 00:03:36.583 --> 00:03:46.359 TO SEPARATE HOUSEHOLDS INTO FOUR AND SIX AT LEAST 6 FEET AWAY FROM ANYBODY SO THAT PUTS US 22 PERCENT WHEN YOU TAKE INTO 29 00:03:46.359 --> 00:03:55.702 ACCOUNT THE SPACE AROUND THE COURT AND THE BROADCAST. >>: AND I KNOW YOU WORK CLOSELY WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND I 30 00:03:55.702 --> 00:04:06.946 WAS THERE FOR THE BIG TEN SO I THOUGHT THE STAFF DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF BEING KIND AND CONSIDERATE AND COURTEOUS AND 31 00:04:06.946 --> 00:04:15.421 STILL ENFORCING THE MASKED MANDATE THAT REMAINS IN PLACE. >>: WE TAKE THAT ON IS A BIG RESPONSIBILITY HOSTING THESE 32 00:04:15.421 --> 00:04:25.331 EVENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC SO WE IMPLEMENTED SIGNS AND TRAINING FOR FOLKS AND GONE TO CASHLESS BUILDING WHERE ALL THE 33 00:04:25.331 --> 00:04:33.106 TRANSACTIONS ARE CONTACTLESS AND WE'VE GONE TO A DIGITAL TICKET. >>: I KNOW ONE OF THE TREATS FOR ME WAS WATCHING PEOPLE AS 34 00:04:33.106 --> 00:04:41.114 THEY GET CLOSE TO THE STADIUM THEY SEE THE WINDOW AND, AGAIN, LUCAS OIL STADIUM HAS NOW BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH THE FINAL FOUR 35 00:04:41.114 --> 00:04:51.924 SO, AGAIN, ANOTHER HUGE ASSET FOR THE CITY. >>: THE CITY HAS COME TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS ALL HAPPEN AND WE 36 00:04:51.924 --> 00:05:00.767 ARE PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS. >>: AS WE WRAP UP I'VE GOT TO ASK YOU HOW WILL YOU AND YOUR STAFF FEEL WHEN WE GET TO 37 00:05:00.767 --> 00:05:06.139 TUESDAY APRIL 6 ASSUMING ALL THINGS WILL GO WELL? >>: THAT'S THE ASSUMPTION I'M WORKING ON. 38 00:05:06.139 --> 00:05:13.913 I THINK WE WILL HAVE A FEELING OF RELIEF AS SOON AS OUR FRIENDS FROM THE NCAA WALK OUT THE DOOR THE TEAM WILL GET SOME REST. 39 00:05:13.913 --> 00:05:22.622 >>: BEST WISHES AS WE GO TO THE ELITE EIGHT AND FINAL FOUR. IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE EFFORT ON BEHALF OF SO MANY INCLUDING 40 00:05:22.622 --> 00:05:23.623 YOU AND YOUR OUTSTANDING STAFF.