Your A to Z guide for Michigan-Iowa football at the Big Ten Championship Game

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - It took 10 years for Michigan football to reach Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship Game. Now the Wolverines are frequent visitors.

They punched their ticket in 2023 by winning the Big Ten East division in a 30-24 victory over rival Ohio State on Nov. 25. Only the Iowa Hawkeyes stand in the way of a third straight outright conference title - something the Wolverines have never accomplished.

The Saturday, Dec. 2 game also marks the return of head coach Jim Harbaugh after his second three-game suspension this season. Should the Wolverines win, he will likely accept the championship trophy from Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, the man who imposed the second suspension for alleged sign-stealing.

Other than these storylines, Michigan fans will be making their way down I-69 South to visit Indianapolis. Here’s a guide to parking, traffic, bars and more.

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) runs a quarterback keeper as Michigan and Iowa face off for the Big 10 Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021.Jacob Hamilton | The Ann Arbor News

Michigan-Iowa game info

Kickoff: 8:17 p.m.

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis

The teams: No. 2 Michigan (12-0, beat Ohio State 30-24) versus No. 16 Iowa (10-2, won at Nebraska 13-10)

How to watch: Fox/ Fox Sports Live

Michigan-Iowa betting odds: -23 ( Big Ten title game odds: Michigan favored, and there’s a low total )

How to buy tickets

Tickets are sold out for the game, according to the Big Ten Conference and its partner Ticketmaster, but the secondary market has many options.

You can still find tickets around $40 on Stubhub , Vivid Seats and SeatGeek .

Weather forecast

Lucas Oil Stadium has a retractable roof that closes for the cold, so weather will not be a factor for the game. Dress warm for walking around the area, though, as Saturday night forecasts put temperatures in the high 30s with a chance of rain after midnight, according to the National Weather Service .

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh hoists the Big 10 champion trophy after Michigan defeated Iowa to win the Big 10 Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. Jacob Hamilton | The Ann Arbor NewsJacob Hamilton | The Ann Arbor News

So long, Big Ten West!

The Big Ten has been divided between the East and West divisions since 2014. The East has won every time, starting with Ohio State’s 59-0 demolition of Wisconsin.

The East has won by an average of 23 points with an average score of 36 to 13.

With the addition of four former Pac-12 teams, there will be no East-West divisions next season. Iowa is the last chance for the West, or else the Wolverines truly get to call themselves “Champions of the West.”

A Wolverine watering hole

Indianapolis is known for its steak and shrimp dinners at steakhouses like St. Elmo’s and Prime 47, as well as bars like the Slippery Noodle Inn.

For Wolverine fans, there also is a watering hole just for them at O’Reilly’s Irish Bar, 36 S. Pennsylvania St., a few blocks from Lucas Oil Stadium.

The UM Club of Indianapolis, an alumni group in the area, has had sports watch parties at O’Reilly’s for the better part of two decades. While 50 to 70 people typically show up for Saturdays, it becomes a block party when the Wolverines are in town for the conference title game.

Read more: A Wolverine block party will invade this Indianapolis bar for the Big Ten title game

Staff and players warm up on the field before Michigan and Iowa face off for the Big 10 Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021.Jacob Hamilton | The Ann Arbor News

Getting to Lucas Oil

The stadium is right in downtown Indianapolis. Officials suggest taking the following directions:

From the North:

From the South:

From the East:

From the West:

For those using rideshare apps, officials suggest using northbound Illinois Street as a pick-up or drop-off location. Guests will be unable to request a ride until they are outside of the geofenced perimeter, officials said.

For those flying into the “Crossroads of America,” Indianapolis International Airport is a 13-mile drive to Lucas Oil Stadium.

Where to park

Parking at the stadium is owned by Denison Parking, which can be contacted by phone at 317-916-1760. You can reserve spaces in advance through ParkWhiz.com and should contact Denison for oversize parking needs.

There are accessible parking locations in the stadium’s south lot off Missouri Street that is provided first-come, first-served. A valid placard or license plate is required.

For more parking and transportation options, check out visitindy.com/indianapolis-transportation-parking .

Where to tailgate

Fans can fill up on food and drink at local bars blocks from the stadium. If you’re able to secure a parking spot, there are tailgating options in the nearby parking lots.

There is also a Big Ten Tailgate Town on South Street open to the public from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday. There will be a Major League Eating Contest for shrimp cocktails, food and beverage sales, college football on video screens, a live band, a DJ and more.

You can buy pregame hospitality passes that get you out of the cold and into a warm tent. The hospitality tent opens at 3:30 p.m.

What to bring and what not to bring

The following items are not permitted in Lucas Oil Stadium: weapons, fireworks, projectiles, poles, sticks, large purses and backpacks, outside alcohol and containers, outside food, objects that obstruct another fan’s view of the field, horns, bells, whistles, bullhorns, megaphones, animals and selfie sticks.

The Michigan Marching Band performs in the stands as Michigan and Iowa face off for the Big 10 Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021.Jacob Hamilton | The Ann Arbor News

No three peats for Michigan...yet

Saturday is a chance for Michigan football to win its third straight outright conference title for the first time in its long history.

The closest the Wolverines came was from 1988-1992, when they won two straight from 1988-89 and 1991-92. The 1990 season was a four-way tie for first between Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa and Illinois.

The Wolverines have 44 conference titles overall. Since Bo Schembechler took over the program in 1969, the program has 23 titles, 11 of them outright, between coaches Schembechler, Gary Moeller, Lloyd Carr and Harbaugh.

It has been a historic year for the Wolverines, from nabbing win No. 1000 to weathering the storm of Harbaugh’s suspensions. A third straight Big Ten Championship would be historic itself, while allowing for potentially more with a chance at a national title in the College Football Playoff.

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