Seymour (8,228) Built 1970
March 15, 2025: Indiana Christian Academy vs. Orleans (Boys)
March 15, 2025: Indiana Christian Academy vs. Orleans (Boys)
Have you ever had something in your life that you anticipated for a really long time, that you knew was going to happen, but you just didn't know when? For many people it's a trip to Disney World, or seeing a loved one that's been gone for a long time, or maybe even a professional accomplishment that they've been working towards for a long time. When I was a kid, it was running out of the tunnel for a varsity basketball game at Westview High School with the pep band blaring "The Final Countdown" and then hearing my name called over the loud speaker during the starting lineups. It's all I thought about when I was playing basketball against myself in the basement while pretending to be all the players on my older cousin's team. It was the pinnacle of a young basketball-obsessed boy's life. I didn't know when it would happen, but I knew I wanted it. As I got a little older and saw another older cousin sit varsity as a freshman, I knew I wanted that for myself too. It ended up taking until my junior year before I ran out of the tunnel, and until my senior year before I heard my name called during starting lineups, but both moments were just as sweet as I imagined they would be. It took longer than I hoped, but they thankfully they both happened. As I've turned the page in life and become an Indiana high school basketball-obsessed adult, there have been a couple of gyms that I've anticipated visiting for a really long time, but I've never known when it would happen. Trying to do all this gym seeking with two small kids at home and one on the way makes it kind of tricky to plan things out too far ahead. Regional weekend finally gave me a chance to check one off at the very top of the list when I stopped by Seymour for my second game of the day.
I grew up reading Phillip Hoose's Hoosiers book, which for my money depicts Indiana high school basketball better than anyone ever has. Through it I was introduced to all the behemoth gyms in the NCC and the unbelievable games that were played in each one. As I got into high school and college, I heard more about and saw some pictures of a few of the other Grade A basketball cathedrals our state has to offer: Gary West, East Chicago, Washington, Michigan City, Southport, Seymour, etc. As I started going to more games out of college and really started becoming more invested in all of this, Seymour and East Chicago really caught my attention the most. I think it's because I grew up in Westview's gym which has two sets of wooden sideline bleachers that just seem to go up and up forever. They just mesmerize me. Seymour and and East Chicago have sets of bleachers like this, only on all 4 sides that span from wall to wall. Ever since I first saw those pictures, these schools have been the ones I've dreamt about seeing some day. I've been to so many others over the last few years, and many have special places in my heart for different reasons, but I've always known Seymour specifically would be different. The anticipation has been building for so long, I honestly was a little worried I had built up too high of expectations in my head and I would be a little disappointed. That could not have been further from the truth.
Seymour has become known over the last few decades as one of the premier hosts for postseason basketball in Indiana, and rightfully so. Not only is the facility itself perfect for hosting big games, but the athletic staff does an unbelievable job and has it down to a science. Anyone who attends these games regularly can attest to that. While I attended one of these magical playoff atmospheres, the Seymour Owls have a pretty successful tradition of their own to boast of during their home games. They've been a part of the state tournament since the third year of its existence starting in 1913. In the last 112 years they've brought home 44 sectionals (all at Seymour except for one random one at Brownstown in 1941) to go along with 8 regional titles. From the 20s through the 70s you did not want to run into these guys in March. It's been tougher sledding in recent years as the boys haven't brought home a sectional since 1992, and the girls just one since 1991, but that doesn't take away from the history of the place. The first thing I noticed when I came in from the rain outside was the outer hallway with row after row of huge pictures showing past sectional winning teams. I'm a sucker for these old photos and spent way longer than I care to admit checking them all out and taking a lot of photos of them myself. The legacy of the building was palpable before I even stepped inside the gym itself. Eventually I heard the 3 minute warning horn blaring inside the gym during warmups and I decided to head upstairs and find my seat for the first half. That was a much more difficult proposition than I anticipated.
Where do you sit when every single seat in the house seems like a great one? This was the problem I was faced with when I stepped out of the darkness of one of the upper corners of the gym. It was everything I was hoping for and more. It helped that the pep band was blaring and the PA announcer (who was awesome all game) was dramatically welcoming both teams back onto the court during warmups. There also appeared to be acres upon acres of gorgeous original wood bleachers everywhere. Just an unreal environment. I'm typically a top row kind of guy so I can lean against the back wall throughout the game, so that's where I ended up gravitating to. I sat at the top of one of the baseline sides for the first quarter, and then alternated between the tops of the two sideline sections for the rest of the game. It was a great game between ICA and Orleans, but I spent most of the first few minutes taking in my surroundings. I should probably start describing what I saw. There are about 15 rows of the dark wooden beauties on all four sides of the court at ground level. The upper level has about 16 rows above the baselines, and around 25 above the sidelines (this place is so massive it's almost impossible to count accurately when looking through my pictures). They all go wall to wall in the upper level, and they're all perfect.
The bleachers all have a three paneled design on the sides which gives them a really cool look when climbing up them. The seat numbers are painted in different colors throughout the gym which I'm guessing designates different sections in some way, but I couldn't figure out any pattern to tell for sure. While the bleachers are probably my favorite part of the gym, they're oddly enough the only thing I've heard criticized about the place (along with the lack of handrails. While I get why this makes it tougher getting up and down, it's definitely better aesthetically without them). I've always heard that for whatever reason, the seat benches here are ever so slightly closer together than in other gyms which makes for some cramped quarters. After visiting, I can confirm this is true. I don't see it as a big detriment though, it's a pretty unique quirk. Conspiracy theorists will say it was done intentionally to squeeze even more people into the gym and raise the listed capacity. That could very well be true, but like any great conspiracy theory, we'll probably never know for sure. I'd consider myself blessed to watch a game here when it's so packed that someone else has their knee in my back.
While the bleachers are the focal point here, there is a lot more to cover. We'll start at the bottom and work our way up. The court design is as simple and clean as it gets. The hardwood is all one solid shade which you almost never see anymore. It's a very classy light tan from baseline to baseline. There's a purple cartoon owl at center court with "Owls" written in white right below it. "Seymour" is written in white against a purple background across both baselines. The purple trims the perimeter of the whole court. In a couple of the lower corners of the gym are framed Indiana All-Star jerseys which are always cool to see. They even display Junior All-Stars which I don't think I've ever seen before. There are concession stands in all four corners of the lower level which is just wild. And if you think that's crazy, there are four matching ones right above them in the upper corners. That's right, there are EIGHT total concession stands in the gym. I wonder if they were all ever in use at the same time back in the gym's heyday. With 8,000+ people stacked in here, they would probably be needed. Behind each concession stand on both levels are bathrooms, which means there are also 8 total, 4 for each gender. Another reason why this place is an excellent host site for tournament play.
The other gym that is comparable to Seymour that I didn't mention earlier because I went to it growing up is Elkhart. One of the big differences is how they handle the upper level corners. Elkhart has some funky seating sections that are accessible by more stairs. Seymour has some big concrete platforms over each one. A couple look like they're used for storage, while one is set up for some sort of a broadcast. Each one is cordoned off which I understand, but the view from up there must be amazing. It makes you wonder if they could have found a way to sneak some more seating in these areas to creep the capacity up a little bit and catch New Castle. Hanging haphazardly from the railings here in opposite corners are a few Hoosier Hills Conference team banners. It's actually hard to build cool displays in gyms this big unless you hang them from the ceiling due to the lack of prominent wall space, but I think a little more effort could have been put into the conference team display. There aren't really any athletic accomplishment banners to speak of either anywhere. Below these corner platforms are traditional press boxes in all four corners of the upper level overlooking the court. One distinct feature is that they are actually tiered and have two rows. A big traditional Jumbotron also hangs above the court.
At halftime I walked around the exterior hallways again to see if there was anything I had missed. I knew I wouldn't have time to linger afterwards as I had to jet over to Washington to make it for the last game of the day. There was a neat little modern display with all the individual record holders for the boys and girls programs. There were more historic team photos. There was just a lot to see. What caught my eye though was a little handmade poster hanging on the wall across the commons area that had a basketball painted on it along with "In 49 states, it's just basketball... but this is Indiana." It's probably the most famous saying attributed to Hoosier Hysteria. Basketball fans in other states think it's pretentious. I don't know where it originated from, but man alive if it doesn't encapsulate exacly what this silly sport means to us. It's embedded in the very fiber of who we are as Hoosiers. It is just different. You can't explain it unless you've experienced it, and I don't think you can fully say you've experienced it until you've visited Seymour. Whether it's for an Owls game or a postseason showdown, there's just nothing quite like it. It is Indiana. It is Hoosier Hysteria. It is everything this blog celebrates and champions.
