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CHAMPAIGN – Who needs tickets? Selling two!

On a sidewalk across the street from Conseco Fieldhouse, a self-employed entrepreneur hawked tickets to the 2008 Big Ten men's basketball tournament. There were few takers; more potential buyers were going than coming.

For a tournament being held in Indianapolis, the worst-case scenario had been realized: Purdue lost its first game, then Indiana lost its first game. A mass of in-state fans were looking to unload their tickets, not buy more.

This year the Big Ten faces another variable it can't control. The chilly economic climate has the league office prepared for slumping ticket sales for the 12th Big Ten tournament, which returns to Indianapolis March 12-15.

"I think we're feeling it this year," Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said Wednesday. "We think we've had probably as good a race as we've had in years. We think the quality is up. But there's no doubt that the demand may be down a bit simply based on the economy."

No. 20 Illinois can guarantee itself of a top-five seed in the Big Ten tournament with a win today against Minnesota at the Assembly Hall (6 p.m., Big Ten Network). That means Illinois (22-6, 10-5 Big Ten) would avoid a first-round game and play its first tournament game in the quarterfinal round March 13.

Pat yourself on the back, Illinois fans. You're one of the few that has seen a dramatic increase in advance ticket sales from last year. (Illinois' success on the court is a big reason why; a 13-win team doesn't draw like a 22-win team.) The UI ticket office said it has sold its allotment of about 1,000 all-session tickets.

"For us, it's an improvement," said Jason Heggemeyer, the UI assistant athletic director in charge of ticketing.

Last year Illinois sold its allotment of 650 tickets, an all-time low for Illinois at the Big Ten tournament. Four years ago, Heggemeyer said, the UI sold more than 2,200 all-session tickets for a tournament held in Chicago.

An all-session pass goes for $275. (Or $282.50, if you throw in the convenience charge through Ticketmaster, where advance tickets are still available.) And a look around the rest of the Big Ten indicates ticket sales are on par with past tournaments held in Indianapolis.

Michigan's ticket office said it has sold 376 all-session tickets. That's about normal for Michigan for Indianapolis, the ticket office said. Iowa's ticket office said it has sold 330 all-session tickets. Ohio State said it has sold 450. Minnesota (20-7, 8-7) said it has sold 400 tickets. That's normal for the Hawkeyes, Buckeyes and Gophers, ticket officials said.

Wisconsin said it has sold about 700 tickets. For tournaments in Indianapolis, the Badgers usually sell between 800 to 850. On the other hand, Purdue has seen an increase. The Boilers are up to 1,106, about 100 more than last year, according to the ticket office.

"Michigan State has sold the most. Then Purdue, then us," Heggemeyer said.

After rotating between Chicago and Indianapolis from 2002 to '07, the Big Ten tournament will stay in Indianapolis through 2012.

"No matter where you are, whether you're in a dome in Atlanta like the ACC or you're in Indianapolis in a conventional facility, I think you're going to have less demand today than you did 12 months ago," Delany said. "I think that would be true in Chicago."

With a larger portion of their fan base in Chicago, the Illini would prefer the tournament had stayed there. Of course, the Illini would play on the moon if they can make a run to the title game like they did last season.

"As soon as I committed (to Illinois), my mom was already saying, 'Ya'll have a tournament here in Chicago, the Big Ten tournament,' " said sophomore Demetri McCamey, who's from Bellwood. "Unfortunately they moved it to Indiana. But it doesn't matter where I play. It's a basketball game."

"If it's in Chicago, we might have a few more fans. In Indiana, you've got Purdue and Indiana and you're battling a lot more schools," said senior Trent Meacham, one of four current Illini to have played tournament games in Chicago and Indianapolis. "In Chicago, we probably dominate the fans moreso. I think Indianapolis is great, though. For fans, it's probably easier to get around."

In a perfect world for attendance numbers, Indiana and Purdue would stick around into the weekend of the Big Ten tournament. Of the four tournaments held in Indianapolis, the lowest attendance numbers are from 2004 and 2008, when the Hoosiers and Boilers were knocked out in either the first (Thursday) or quarterfinal rounds (Friday).

But a sluggish economy has the greatest impact on ticket sales. As it stands, the sidewalks outside Conseco and the box office inside will prove to be a buyer's market.

"We'll be pushing hard single-session tickets, reaching out to our fan base," Delany said. "I think it's going to be a fabulous tournament and there are lots of things at stake. We're hopeful there will be a rush and that we'll fill it up and that it will be fun. But I think '09 will be different than '08 because of the economy. We're hoping we have a bounceback in '10."

pklee@news-gazette.com

-News-Gazette staff writer Bob Asmussen contributed to this story