Sports Development
In the mid-1970s, Indianapolis city leaders chose to use sports as an economic and community development tool and backed the construction of sports facilities and marketing strategies to attract top sporting events.
This effort has paid off handsomely. To date, Indianapolis has hosted over 400 national and international amateur sporting events, attracted numerous sports organizations and built or renovated an estimated $400 million worth of facilities. From 1977 through 1998, the direct economic impact of amateur sports in Indianapolis was $1.18 billion.
The publicity surrounding major athletic events results in national and international name recognition for Indianapolis. The events provide opportunities to showcase the city – not only as a sports center, but also as a tourist destination, a business center and a good place in which to live, work and invest.
In 1979, Indiana Sports Corporation (ISC) was formed. A not-for-profit, privately funded organization, ISC was one of the first of its kind to target amateur sports as a growth industry. It attracts national and international sporting events to the city and state, represents Indianapolis in the international sports marketplace and coordinates events. Indiana Sports Corporation is also dedicated to providing opportunities for young people through sports. In the past 12 years, fund-raisers such as the Youthlinks Indiana Celebrity Golf Tournament, which is co-hosted with Indiana Black Expo, has awarded $3.5 million to Indiana youth programs.
Motorsports
By hosting the three largest single-day sporting events in the world, the economic equivalent of hosting three Super Bowls in a single year, the city of Indianapolis has made a name for itself as the racing capital of the world. Fast cars, famous speedways and celebrity legends carve the Circle City’s historical motorsports roots.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis, IN
(317) 481-8500
To test and showcase automobiles, entrepreneur Carl Graham Fisher formed the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and arranged for its construction. Completed in 1909, the 2 1⁄2-mile oval began to host automobile and motorcycle races. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is now the largest spectator sporting facility in the world with more than 250,000 permanent seats.
The Speedway is home to the famed 500-Mile Race for the Indy Racing League as well as the popular Brickyard 400 stock car race and the SAP United States Grand Prix, the only Formula One race held in the United States. These events make up the three largest single day sporting events in the world. The track is the center of activity during the month of May for the Indianapolis 500 and is used for high-speed tire testing almost year round. In 1994, the Speedway hosted its first Brickyard 400 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race. The 160-lap race was the first major racing event other than the Indy 500” to
be held at the Speedway since 1911. Since 1998, the IMS has hosted a 100-mile International Race of Champions (IROC) event the day prior to the running of the Brickyard 400. The IMS grounds also include a golf course, museum and inn.
The Indianapolis 500
On May 30, 1911, the Speedway hosted the first Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. The Indianapolis 500, part of the Indy Racing Northern Lights Series, is celebrating its 85th year as a competitive race. The 2000 Indianapolis 500 placed first among televised motorsports events and generated a record $102.4 million in sponsorship exposure, the greatest sponsorship exposure in the history of broadcast motorsports.
The 500 Festival is organized each May for a full-month of celebrations honoring the Indy 500. Highlights include the world’s largest half-marathon, the nation’s only participatory parade and Community Day at IMS.
The Brickyard 400
Designed by Pete Dye, Brickyard Crossing is an 18-hole championship golf course that can host major PGA or USGA events.
The Brickyard Crossing opened to the public in 1994. It features four holes on the inside of the track and 14 on the outside, lakes, huge spectator mounds that offer views of golf tournaments and auto racing, mature trees and a 500-yard practice area.
SAP United States Grand Prix Formula One
Indianapolis brought Formula One back to the United States in 2000, after a nine year absence. The USGP, the largest event on the Formula One schedule, will be held on September 29, 2002.
Hall of Fame Museum
Approximately 75 cars are always on display, representing a widely diversified collection of early day passenger cars, European sports cars, motorcycles and other special interest vehicles, plus more than one third of all the 500 winners, including the 1911 winning Marmon “Wasp.” Also on display are trophies, photographs, helmets, uniforms, goggles and other artifacts. A historic video is shown every 20 minutes in a 48-seat theater at no additional cost, while bus rides around the track are offered for an additional fee whenever the track is not in use.
Indianapolis Raceway Park
10267 East U.S. Hwy. 136
(317) 291-4090
The .683-mile oval features new grandstand seating, 12 VIP suites, and new race control, a broadcast booth and pressroom. The oval plays host to a jam-packed season spanning March through October and notable series such as sprints, midgets, Silver Crown, NASCAR’s Busch Grand National and Supertruck series and the ASA ACDelco Series.
IRP is home to a 45-year Labor Day weekend tradition – the NHRA’s Mac Tools U.S. Nationals featuring roaring top fuel dragsters, funny cars, pro stock cars and bikes.
Indianapolis Speedrome
Edge-of-your-seat action abounds here with the USAC modified competition and hair-raising World Figure 8 challenges. Don’t miss the demolition derbies or midget and pro-stock action at this southside facility that has promoted motorsports for 59 consecutive seasons.
Indiana State Fairgrounds
Used once per year for auto racing, the Indiana State Fairgrounds is part of an annual May tradition with A.J. Foyt’s Hulman Hoosier Hundred. Known as the “Track of Champions,” the dirt oval has seen famous drivers such as Foyt, Johnny Rutherford, Al Unser and Tony Stewart compete in the 100-mile event.
Facilities
The exceptional success rate Indianapolis has enjoyed in hosting major events is due partly to its world-class facilities. Most of the venues are open to the public when not booked for events.
RCA Dome
Completed in 1984, the $77.5 million stadium is home to the NFL Indianapolis Colts, as well as the site of other major sporting events, concerts and conventions. The RCA Dome, with 57,872 seats, has a 19-story-high fiberglass roof and 104 private suites. It is one of only six major air-supported domed stadiums in the world.
A $20 million renovation of the RCA Dome was completed in August 1999. The work included the creation of a new street-level entrance with additional large-capacity elevators, relocation of the press box, two new club lounges and exclusive club seating areas, updated luxury suites and five new super suites.
Conseco Fieldhouse
The $183 million Conseco Fieldhouse opened in November 1999, and stands as a monument to Indiana’s rich basketball tradition. This state-of-the-art facility combines the nostalgic feelings of the past with the benefits of the future. The Fieldhouse is home to the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and the WNBA’s Indiana Fever -as well as being a venue for hockey, soccer, concerts and shows.
The Arena Football League’s Indiana Firebirds have also made Conseco Fieldhouse their home. The Fieldhouse has approximately 18,500 seats, including 69 suites and 2,500 club seats, plus Indy’s first downtown Starbucks Coffee and a Varsity Club restaurant. The Conseco Fieldhouse is the newest showpiece of the downtown Wholesale District revitalization and is a true symbol of Hoosier hysteria
Indiana University Natatorium
This facility consists of a swimming pool with adjustable lengths and an 18-foot-deep diving pool that has five platforms and three springboards. Speed is built into the pool; it is exactly the right depth to reduce reverberation from the bottom. Events held here include the Synchronized Swimming World Cup Championships, FINA World Diving Cup, World Masters Swimming Championships, National High School Swimming and Diving Championships, 11 major U.S. Olympic trials, and 14 NCAA Championships, including the 1997 NCAA Women’s Division I Swimming and Diving Championships.
Indianapolis Tennis Center
The Tennis Center features an 8,000-seat stadium court, a 2,000-seat grandstand court, six indoor courts, 14 outdoor hard courts, and four outdoor clay courts. This USTA (United States Tennis Association) Training Center has been cited for its master plan and aesthetic appeal. The Tennis Center is the permanent site of the RCA Championships, which was selected by the players as Tournament of the Year from 1988-97. The tournament attracts top players such as Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Goran Ivanisevic, and Andre Agassi.
Indiana University Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium
The stadium features a nine-lane, 400-meter rubber track that is considered one of the world’s fastest. Resurfaced with a new rack in 1997, the stadium contains 12,100 permanent spectator seats and is adjacent to several athletic fields for softball, soccer, and volleyball. The stadium served as the 1988 site of the U.S. Olympic trials. In 1992-93, the track hosted the Mazda Indy Games, a European-style meet with international competition. The USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships were held at the track in 1997.
Major Taylor Velodrome and Lake Sullivan BMX Track
Velodrome accommodates up to 5,000 spectators around its 333.3 meter track. With maximum banking of 28 degrees, the track allows top speeds from cyclists. The Velodrome has hosted several national events, including the Grand Prix of Cycling and the EDS Senior Track Cycling Championships. Sanctioned by the National Bicycle League (NBL), the BMX Track is used for bicycle motocross racing. In 1996, the Velodrome and BMX track were privatized and now are operated by the Indiana Bicycle Coalition, a non-profit bicycling advocacy group.
National Institute for Fitness and Sport
Opened in 1988, NIFS is a state-of-the-art fitness and research center dedicated to health and physical fitness research, education, and training. Open to professional and amateur athletes, as well as the public, the institute’s fitness center offers complete fitness appraisals and has a 200-meter indoor track, regulation-size basketball floor, rubberized workout floor, weight training and cardiovascular exercise equipment, and exercise classes.
William Kuntz Soccer Center
Built for the Pan American Games, this facility includes a competition field with 4,500 permanent spectator seats, and a practice field that seats 2,000. The center was used for the U.S. vs. El Salvador Olympic Qualifying Game in 1988 and now serves as the home fields of the Indiana Blast and Indiana Blaze, two United Systems of Independent Soccer League teams.
Indiana/World Skating Academy and Research Center
Part of Pan Am Plaza, the center features two indoor skating rinks. The Olympic Rink, one of few 100-by-200-foot Olympic-size rinks in the U.S., is used for ice sport training, classes, and public skating. The American Rink is an 85-by-200 feet rink that seats 1,000 spectators. The Research Center houses the Human Performance Lab where skater’s strengths and weaknesses are tested in regard to their physical conditioning.
Eagle Creek Park
Eagle Creek is one of the country’s largest municipally owned parks. It encompasses more than 1,300 acres of water and 3,900 acres of land.
Regatta Course The course is one of only two in the U.S. sanctioned for international competition by the International Federation of Rowing Associations. The U.S. Rowing National Championships have been held at Eagle Creek since 1986. In 1994, the course hosted the World Rowing Championships, the first time the event was held in the U.S.
Archery Range Built for the Pan Am Games, the range is designed according to world-class specifications, features two competition fields, and is now used for youth classes.
Golf Course This 27-hole complex has been rated one of the 50 top public courses in the country by Golf Digest. Built in 1971, the course was renovated in 1988, and an amateur golf training facility was constructed.
Little League Baseball Central Region Headquarters
The headquarters is responsible for chartering and serving all 1,000 leagues for the 13 Midwest states that comprise the central region of Little League Baseball. The facility hosts annual summer camps for approximately 800 players and year-round leadership training for members. The complex includes five playing fields and stands, a dorm, a swimming pool, and tennis and basketball courts.
Indiana State Fairgrounds Pepsi Coliseum
Built in 1939, the facility contains 7,659 permanent seats and is used for concerts, ice skating, rodeos, trade shows, and sporting events.
Hinkle Fieldhouse
When it opened in 1928 on the Butler University campus, Hinkle Fieldhouse was the largest basketball arena in the United States, and remained so for 20 years. Now it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 10,800-seat fieldhouse is the home court for Butler University’s basketball team. It has been the site of the first U.S.S.R.-U.S. Olympic basketball game and volleyball events of the Pan Am Games. Scenes from the movie “Hoosiers” were filmed in the fieldhouse. In 1995 and 1996, Hinkle Fieldhouse hosted the Big Ten Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Victory Field
This $18 million, open-air, grass stadium, which opened in 1996, is the home of the 2000 Triple-A World Series Champion Indianapolis Indians baseball team. The 13,500-seat stadium features 29 luxury suites and a grass picnic area with open lawn seating for an additional 2,000 fans. In 2001, Sports Illustrated magazine named Victory Field as “the best minor league park in the nation.”
Professional Sports
Baseball
Indianapolis Indians, Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Club
Basketball
Indiana Pacers, NBA’s Central Division
Indiana Legends, ABA’s Eastern Division
Indiana Fever WNBA’s Eastern Conference
Football
Indianapolis Colts, NFL’s AFC East Division
Hockey
Indianapolis Ice CHL’s Western Division
Soccer
Indianapolis Blaze USL’s W League
Sports Museums
NCAA Hall of Champions
From the first track and field championship in 1921, to the flavor, pageantry and tradition of today’s 81 NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) national championships in 22 sports, the NCAA Hall of Champions celebrates the journey of the student athlete.
Experience the defeats and triumphs that have fostered student-athletes to become leaders in athletic competition and in careers beyond the courts and fields for more than 80 years. Two levels of exhibits feature interactive displays and award-winning multimedia presentations to discover what it means to become a champion from a student-athlete’s first competition to a lifetime of achievement. Internationally renowned architect Michael Graves designed the NCAA Hall of Champions, which opened March 30, 2000. The Hall is adjacent to the new NCAA headquarters in White River State Park.
National Art Museum of Sport
850 W. Michigan Street
(317) 274-3627
Housed in the University Place, on the campus of IUPUI, the National Art Museum of Sport is the nation’s largest collection of sport art with more than 1,000 paintings, prints, sculptures and photographs of 44 sports including ice yachting, bowling, auto racing, tennis, football, basketball, baseball, hunting, squash and archery. Among the artists represented in the collection are Winslow Homer, Fletcher Martin, George Bellows and Alfred Boucher.
Founded in 1959 by Connecticut artist-sportsman Germain G. Glidden, the museum moved to Indianapolis in 1990 after being located on the East Coast for 30 years.
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