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"Hoosiers" screening marks 40th anniversary

9/17/2026 12AM

Coach Norman Dale, portrayed by the late Gene Hackman, gives his team a pep talk in a scene from the basketball drama "Hoosiers" (1986), generally considered one of the greatest sports movies of all time.


Nov. 15 event to feature actors, creators, team bus from landmark movie

 

CARMEL, Ind. – A classic film about Indiana’s signature pastime will be celebrated with an upcoming special event presented by Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts.

 

The basketball drama Hoosiers, initially released in November 1986, received two Academy Award nominations, earned a spot in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry, and is widely considered one of the greatest sports movies of all time. The script was inspired by the true story of underdog Milan High School’s surprise win in the 1954 men’s state championship.

 

A 40th anniversary screening set for 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Payne & Mencias Palladium will include a live, in-person Q&A with four key figures from the film’s production: screenwriter Angelo Pizzo, director David Anspaugh, and actors Brad Long, who butted heads with the coach as team captain Buddy Walker, and Maris Valainis, whose character Jimmy Chitwood made the last-second winning shot. Sports talk radio personality JMV of 93.5 & 107.5 The Fan will lead the post-screening discussion, which will be followed by an autograph session.

 

An old red school bus has a yellow banner on the side reading "Hickory Huskers."

The Hickory Huskers team bus

Also on hand will be one of the film’s central props, the small, cherry-red 1939 Chevrolet school bus that transported the fictional Hickory Huskers team to their games. Fans are invited to take photos with the iconic vehicle as it is parked outside the building for the occasion.

 

Tickets starting at $25 are available online at TheCenterPresents.org/Hoosiers, by phone at (317) 843-3800 and in person at the Payne & Mencias Palladium’s Fifth Third Bank Box Office, 1 Carter Green, Carmel. A limited number of student tickets is available at $15, and discounts are available for military personnel, veterans and first responders. The event is part of the JPMorganChase Spotlight Series and the 2026-2027 Center Presents Season sponsored by Allied Solutions.

 

About Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts

The mission of Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts, celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2026, is to engage and inspire the Indiana community through enriching arts experiences. The nonprofit organization’s campus in Carmel, Indiana, includes the 1,500-seat Payne & Mencias Palladium concert hall, the 500-seat Tarkington proscenium theater and the black-box Studio Theater. Allied Solutions Center presents and hosts hundreds of events each year, including the annual Center Presents performance season, featuring the best in classical music, jazz, pop, rock, country, comedy and other genres. Educational and experiential programming for all ages includes children’s concerts and camps, book clubs, lectures, and classes in music and stand-up comedy. Allied Solutions Center is home to the affiliated Great American Songbook Foundation and provides space and support services for six resident arts companies. More information is available at TheCenterPresents.org.