Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Wants More Preseason Games Played at Colleges

The Indiana Pacers opened up their 2026-27 NBA preseason schedule on Wednesday, taking down the Minnesota Timberwolves 123-112.

The game was held at Iowa State, the alma mater of star guard Tyrese Haliburton, making it even more special for the veteran. But the big storyline from this contest was the return of Haliburton to the court following a long injury recovery.

Haliburton had been out since suffering a torn Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, missing all of last season. But the Pacers star returned to the court, playing 16 minutes of game action.

In that time, Haliburton scored seven points, six assists, one steal, and one block, helping the Pacers win the game. This preseason game was a memorable one for Haliburton for a multitude of reasons, and he wants to see more colleges host NBA contests.

While speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Haliburton weighed in on the Pacers game being played at Iowa State. Haliburton said it's exciting for schools to host NBA preseason games and that it was a cool experience.

The Pacers star said that by putting preseason games at colleges, it could help attendance with fans. This would give fans a chance to be in a different area, seeing the NBA players on the court.

It remains to be seen if more teams will do this, but it's a good idea from Haliburton. Due to the success from this game, it could catch on with other teams across the NBA, giving fans something extra to look forward too in the preseason.

But for the Pacers, it was good to just see the star back on the court after the long injury process for Haliburton. Indiana had been patiently waiting to get Haliburton back on the floor, and the time he spends now could help get him ready for the upcoming season.

Without Haliburton last season, the Pacers were only able to win 19 games, missing the playoffs entirely. But with him back, Indiana is expected to reclaim its status as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

Haliburton offers the Pacers a legitimate floor leader, helping to get the offense set during games. This was something that they were missing last year, and it saw the team spirial out of control throughout the season.

Next up for the Pacers in the preseason will be on October 10 when they host the Atlanta Hawks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.