Hinkle Fieldhouse lands 2026 NBA Cup championship game
The iconic Butler venue will host the Emirates NBA Cup championship game on Dec. 11, marking the first time the event will be played outside Las Vegas.
Hinkle Fieldhouse has hosted high school and college championship games, so why not add the NBA to the mix?
Now it will.
The historic gym, on the campus of Butler University, will host the Emirates NBA Cup 2026 Championship on Friday, Dec. 11. It marks a significant change for the event after Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena hosted the championship game in each of the first three years.
Indianapolis hosted NBA All-Star Weekend in 2024, the NBA Finals in 2025, WNBA All-Star Weekend in 2025, and now will host the NBA Cup title game later this year.
“Hinkle Fieldhouse offers a special setting to capture the excitement and drama of the Emirates NBA Cup Championship,” said Kelly Flatow, NBA Head of Global Events. “Playing the Championship in an iconic basketball environment like this will further establish it as a signature moment on the NBA calendar.”
This move represents a shift in approach for the NBA — toward distinctive stages that honor the sport’s history while connecting with audiences around the world.
Hinkle Fieldhouse, home of the Butler Bulldogs, is located about seven miles north of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Pacers and Fever play. It’s a short, 20-minute drive, so NBA teams will be able to stay at their usual hotels.
“Not a better spot to play the nba cup championship!” tweeted former Butler star Gordon Hayward, who retired from the NBA after the 2023-24 season.
The game will be streamed exclusively on Prime Video. The news was announced Tuesday evening before the start of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game, which aired on the network.
Given the uniqueness of the arena — including its place in Angelo Pizzo’s hit sports movie “Hoosiers” — expect to see several features showcasing the iconic venue.
The NBA Cup was created under Commissioner Adam Silver in 2023 and modeled after international soccer competitions, which he is fond of. At the end of each NBA season, only one team traditionally celebrates a championship.
Now, the league has another title moment built into the calendar.
And this past season, the New York Knicks won both — defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup Final and then again in the NBA Finals.
For the players, there’s additional bonus money on the line.
And for fans, the tournament helps generate interest earlier in the season, especially while the NFL is still going on.
It’s unclear how easily tickets will be available for locals. Hinkle Fieldhouse has approximately 9,100 seats — about half the attendance figure at T-Mobile Arena. If you are interested, it’s recommended that you fill out this form.
The NBA says there will also be expanded basketball programming across the Butler campus, creating a dynamic atmosphere in the lead-up to tip-off.
This is a one-off, meaningful game made even more special by playing it in one of basketball’s most historic venues. Future sites worth considering include Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium — Silver is a Duke grad — and Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse.
But Hinkle gets the first shot at this new vision, and it’s a fitting choice. For one night in December, the NBA Cup won’t just be about winning a title — it will be about celebrating the game in a place that has long helped define it.
Previous NBA Cup Champions
2025: New York Knicks
2024: Milwaukee Bucks
2023: Los Angeles Lakers (over Pacers)
The NBA also unveiled the six groups — three in the east and three in the west — for Cup play during the 2026-27 season.
