The pinnacle of the college basketball season is here. After four rounds of exciting buzzer-beaters and bracket-busting upsets, the NCAA Tournament is down to the final four teams standing. No matter your personal leanings, all fans who will be watching the activity on the hardwood starting this weekend can appreciate the roof above the hardwood at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium.  

With a capacity of about 70,000 for the Final Four, the home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts stands out for its unique retractable roof, which people have called a modern marvel of sports engineering that blends the city’s industrial history with today’s need for a versatile facility. Check out a little more: 

Recent Upgrade 

The total estimated cost of the original roof design was roughly $40 million of the stadium’s $720 million price tag. Earlier this year, more than $7.5 million was spent to overhaul the building’s Wi-Fi and Technology housed on the roof, and an additional $9.4 million in capital improvements to the building as a whole, are planned this year. The Capital Improvement Board (CIB) of Marion County, which operates the stadium, budgets approximately $51,000 annually for parts, labor and upgrades to the roof.  

First of its Kind 

Retractable stadium roofs are now more common in cities around the NFL. But when Lucas Oil Stadium opened in 2008, it was the first of its kind to open sideline-to-sideline, while others opened end-zone to end-zone.  The two massive roof panels weigh an estimated 2.5 million pounds each and move along five parallel rails powered by more than 120 motors.  

No Chance 

The roof typically stays closed if the temperature dips below 40-degrees for Colts games, and cannot be opened during a game if it began the day closed. Despite what the end of March and beginning of April signals in the world of weather, not even warm, spring-like conditions will mean opening the roof for the Final Four.  

Still Green

The roof boasts multiple "Green" features that continue to highlight sustainability benefits. Notably, the roof motors are part of a specialized drive system that creates regenerative power when the heavy panels roll "downhill" to open. The captured energy is fed back into the stadium’s power grid. 

Not the First Rodeo 

Indianapolis has hosted the men’s Final Four eight times since 1980. The last three were played at Lucas Oil Stadium (2010, 2015, 2021). It will host the event again in 2029. In addition to being home to the NFL’s Colts, the stadium just hosted the NFL Draft Combine in March, and hosted Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 (N.Y. Giants beat N.E. Patriots 21-17).