Two days on the convention floor
The Big Ten Conference dates its Fan Fest to Friday 4 December and Saturday 5 December at the Indiana Convention Center. The conference release puts more than 200,000 square feet behind the two days. The venue's own event page lists the Fan Fest for 5 and 6 December with a forecast attendance of 70,000, so the two publishers disagree on the second day. Check the festival's own day list before booking travel.
The championship game follows at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday 5 December. Kickoff is 8:00 p.m. ET, and FOX carries the broadcast. The venue puts the walk from the convention centre to the stadium at 0.32 km, which is 0.2 miles, and both buildings sit on the downtown skywalk network.
The skywalk route from a downtown bed
The venue counts 4,700 hotel rooms connected to the convention centre by skywalk. Both weekend venues sit on that network, so a guest at a connected property covers the two days indoors.
The venue's skywalk page gives a rule of thumb for lockdown near 11:00 p.m. and re-opening near 6:00 a.m. The same page states the timing is event-dependent, so read the posted hours at the door before a late walk back.
Getting in from the airport
The venue's footer block states 15 minutes to Indianapolis International Airport. Visit Indy states the same approximate 15 minutes by road.
Eating within a few blocks
Visit Indy's group dining directory lists 18 downtown restaurants with street addresses. Its downtown entries include Weber Grill Restaurant at 10 N. Illinois St., Buca di Beppo at 35 N. Illinois St., Dick's Last Resort at 111 Maryland St., Rathskeller Restaurant at 401 E. Michigan St., MESH on Mass at 725 Massachusetts Ave., Slippery Noodle Inn at 372 S. Meridian St., Tavern on South at 423 W. South St. and Shapiro's Delicatessen at 808 S. Meridian St.
The venue's footer block counts 200 downtown restaurants within walking distance of the convention centre. Downtown holds more than 73,000 parking spaces, which the conference states on its championship parking page.
Filling the hours between the floor and kickoff
Visit Indy publishes the game-day traffic plan for the title game. The South Lot at Lucas Oil Stadium opens at 8:00 a.m. and requires a parking pass for entry. The main gates open at 6:00 p.m., two hours before kickoff. South Street closes at 6:00 a.m. on game day from just north of the stadium until the traffic clears after the game.
The Indianapolis Cultural Trail runs ten miles and links six cultural districts downtown. Pacers Bikeshare runs more than 50 stations on and near the trail. Classic bikes cost $2 to unlock plus $0.20 a minute, e-bikes cost $5 plus $0.25 a minute, and an annual pass costs $150 for unlimited 60-minute trips.
Terms to check before the trip
Visit Indy's championship page carries the Fan Fest terms for the 2025 edition and dates its game to Saturday 6 December with the 2025 teams. That page gives Fan Fest hours of Friday 3 to 9 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., admission complimentary with a game ticket, Fan Fest passes for fans without one through Ticketmaster, free entry for children aged 2 and under, and complimentary access for anyone with a military ID. The 2026 hours and admission terms are unpublished on the pages read.
The conference publishes the stadium rules for the 2026 game. A clear bag policy is in effect, with clear bags limited to 12 by 6 by 12 inches or a one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag, and small non-clear bags limited to 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Tickets are digital and open only on a phone. Printed tickets and screenshots do not scan.
Two Fan Fest days and a Saturday kickoff shape the weekend. A visitor books a connected room, walks the skywalk between the two venues, eats within a few blocks and reaches the airport in roughly fifteen minutes by road.