Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse Set for $25M Upgrade

Butler University officials hope the recent success of the school's men's basketball team can help attract donations for a $25 million restoration of the Bulldogs' home arena.

The Indianapolis Business Journal reports that Hinkle Fieldhouse's restoration will begin in the summer of 2012.

About $4.8 million has been raised for the project. Butler's vice president for university advancement, Mark Helmus, says he's "certainly pleased'' the Bulldogs' repeat Final Four trip coincides with the school's plans to expand its fundraising appeal to the general public over the coming months.

The Hinkle restoration will include adding more chair-type seats to the 1928 basketball arena. Those chairs will reduce Hinkle's seating capacity from about 10,000 to about 8,500. But Helmus says "most people don't want season tickets if they're not in chairs.