Fans heading downtown for Big Ten Championship weekend won't need to buy a ticket to get into Fan Fest this year. The event at the Indiana Convention Center is free to the public for the first time in recent memory, though attendees still have to pre-register before showing up.
Indiana Sports Corp announced the change through Sam Real on WISH-TV's Daybreak, confirming that Big Ten Fan Fest will be free to the public this year. Fans can pre-register for admission at bigten.org/fcg, according to the station's report.
It's a shift from how things worked in 2025, when entry was free only for people holding a ticket to the Championship Game itself — otherwise adults paid $12 and kids paid $6, per the same station's earlier coverage. This year, nobody has to pay at the door at all, though registering ahead of time is still required.
A Fitting Sendoff for the Current Format
The timing carries some weight. This marks the last Big Ten Football Championship Game under the current format, as an expanded College Football Playoff reshapes the conference's postseason landscape going forward. Fan Fest has been part of the Championship Game weekend since 2011, and Real said the final edition in its current form should go out with everyone downtown enjoying the festivities.
The Big Ten Football Championship Game itself kicks off Dec. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium, marking the 16th annual edition of the event, according to Indiana Sports Corp. The No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the 18-team Big Ten will meet for the Amos Alonzo Stagg Trophy, with the winner also claiming a first-round bye in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
What's Actually Inside Fan Fest
Fan Fest opens Friday evening, Dec. 4, and continues throughout much of Saturday, Dec. 5. Organizers say the footprint will again span more than 200,000 square feet of fan activities — a scale similar to last year's event, which the station's report described as filling over 200,000 square feet of the convention center with games, giveaways and a 40-yard football field in the middle of it all.
This year's lineup includes a 40-yard dash, interactive football games and family activities, plus appearances from the competing schools' bands. Rally House will run a merchandise store on-site where fans can buy championship gear.
Real said Fan Fest is designed to appeal beyond just football fans, with activities built in for children and families. Last year's event followed a similar playbook, with Saturday hours running 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and a pep rally for both schools held before the teams took the field at 8 p.m., according to the earlier WISH-TV account.
Eyes on Indianapolis's Sporting Future
Beyond this year's game, Indiana Sports Corp says it hopes to bring additional major sporting events to Indianapolis and is monitoring potential opportunities to host future College Football Playoff games. Real said the organization has no announcements about future Playoff opportunities at this time, leaving that question open for now.
