Indiana University’s men’s basketball program is set to make a notable return to Southwestern Indiana this fall, scheduling an exhibition matchup against Western Kentucky at the historic Ford Center in Evansville on October 25. The game represents the Hoosiers’ first appearance in the region since November 2011, rekindling memories of earlier contests and drawing attention from local fans eager to see the team in a new setting.
A milestone for the Hoosiers
Tickets for the contest will be available at the Ford Center Ticket Office and on Ticketmaster.com beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 26. The release marks the first opportunity for supporters to secure seats for a game that promises to blend the energy of a college crowd with the intimacy of a smaller market venue.
The exhibition follows an earlier announced meeting with the University of North Carolina on October 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, a game that will serve as a prelude to the Evansville showdown. Indiana’s performance last season, finishing 18‑14 under first‑year coach Darian Devries, fell short of an NCAA Tournament berth, adding a layer of urgency to the upcoming schedule.
Among the returning players, sophomore forward Trent Sisley stands out as the sole holdover from the previous roster. Sisley averaged 4.2 points and 2.8 rebounds as a freshman before transferring to Montverde Academy for his senior year, where he capped a high school career that included a school‑record 1,715 points.
Western Kentucky arrives in Evansville after a 18‑14 season under second‑year head coach Hank Plona, who has been credited with stabilizing the program and guiding it to a competitive finish in the previous campaign. The matchup will test both teams’ preparations as they fine‑tune strategies ahead of the regular season.
For Indiana, the game offers more than a warm‑up; it is a chance to reconnect with a region that has not hosted the Hoosiers in over a decade. The exhibition will be played in Evansville, while the earlier North Carolina contest will take place in Indianapolis, giving fans in two of the state’s major cities a chance to see the team before the official season begins.