Sources: Mad Ants will play part of their 2021-22 schedule in Indianapolis

This allows the Pacers’ G League affiliate to more easily send players between teams and share resources.

Five Pacers spent time with the Mad Ants in the G League bubble last season. (Photo: Mad Ants/NBAE)

LAS VEGAS — The Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the G League affiliate for the Indiana Pacers, are set to spend significant time in Indianapolis during the upcoming 2021-22 season.

The Mad Ants are scheduled to play 15 games up in Fort Wayne — about two hours north on I-69 — along with nine more in Indianapolis, Fieldhouse Files has learned. This has been in the works for quite a while.

A formal announcement is expected on Friday.

This is a significant boost for the Pacers and their young players. They will practice in Indianapolis, which makes it much easier for the organization to keep tabs on players, attend practices and games — all while making their $50 million practice facility available to the Mad Ants.

On top of that, the nine games will be held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. It will help grow the fan base, too, as Pacers followers are more exposed to the team.

Tom Hankins, who enters his second season as Mad Ants head coach, has been around the Pacers daily this summer and is sitting in row two behind the team bench at summer league.

The 2019-20 G League season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last season, they played 15 games in a bubble down on the campus of Disney in Orlando, Fla.

Pacers Sports & Entertainment owner Herb Simon purchased the Mad Ants in 2015.