What Does "But This Is Indiana!" Mean? The Pacers Prove the Saying Again and Again

For sports lovers, there's always that one team or player who has your whole heart. In football, fans are known to riot and rally when their teams lose, or even win, because their emotions are tied so deeply with the big games.

It's no different for basketball, where NBA fans are a little less riot-y but exactly as passionate as their football counterparts.

But there's one saying among sports fans that you may have heard and wondered about, so what exactly does "but this is Indiana" mean? Here's what we know about the origins of the phrase and why the 2025 Pacers proved the saying once again.

If your team has ever played the Pacers, you've likely heard fans crowing, "But this is Indiana!" It's a time-honored phrase that highlights just how important the basketball culture is in Indiana.

According to Britannica, basketball was invented in Massachusetts in 1891 by physical education trainer James Naismith. However, people who live in Indiana like to claim that their state was one of the earliest drivers in the fledgling sport. According to The Grueling Truth, the game was almost omnipresent in Indiana by the early 1900s.

Because the requirements for the game are so simple, with just a ball, a hoop, and a flat surface needed to play, it was accessible to rural children.

Ties to the state's cultural identity and way of life run deep, prompting a passionate love for the game among Hoosiers.

As a result of these claims to early ties in the sport, the full saying is actually, "in 49 states, it's just basketball. But this is Indiana." Meaning that for Indiana, basketball is serious business.

With a passionate fanbase who considers the state one of the birthplaces of basketball, it makes sense that they hold their enthusiasm on a pedestal.

Of course, knowing what the phrase means opens up another interesting question: What exactly is a Pacer? With the Indiana Pacers scoring big in the 2025 NBA finals, people started wondering what exactly is up with their team name.

Their mascot is Boomer, a panther, but Pacers aren't related to panthers or even wildcats, so what's the deal?

When the team first joined the NBA in 1967, they launched with the name "Pacers" already attached. According to NBA.com, Indianapolis attorney Richard D. Tinkham says that the name has a double meaning, meant to honor Indiana and Indianapolis.

It hearkens back to the state's strong ties to pacing, which is harness racing with horses, and the Indianapolis 500, which uses a pace car.

If you ask a fan, you're likely to get one answer or the other. But whichever reason they favor, it's clear that the Pacers work just fine for their fans. As the 2025 finals proved, it doesn't really matter what their mascot is or whether people understand them. Because in 49 states it's just basketball, but this is Indiana.

And in Indiana, basketball is culture, basketball is life, and basketball is more.