A limited number of fans will be allowed at Big Ten basketball tournaments

The Big Ten will allow a limited number of fans to attend the men’s and women’s conference basketball tournaments in Indianapolis next week.

Following approval by local health officials, attendance will be limited to 2,500 for the women’s tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and to 8,000 for the men’s tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Each tournament runs five days, with the women starting Tuesday and the men on Wednesday.

Fans will be required to wear facemasks at the venues except for when they are actively consuming food or drink.

The men’s tournament was originally scheduled to be held at the United Center, but the league decided last month to relocate to keep events more centralized to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“Hosting both the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in the same city allows for cohesive testing and medical protocols for both events, as well as centralized accommodations surrounding the competition venues,” the Big Ten said in a statement last month. It said the league planned to return to Chicago in 2023.