3C: Sports + Competition
From Olympic Trials to NCAA Final Fours and from Super Bowl XLVI to national competitions in practically every known sport, Indy knows how to host the world’s best athletes. Still, it may be more accurate to call us the place people find their competitive edge. What is less known is our platform to host competitive conferences, competitions and juried ideas in things as varied as the Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation to marching band national championships and from competitions for pianists and violinists to film festivals. Continue to support efforts that bring regional, national, and international competitions to Indy and promote the city as the place where success gets discovered. Encourage these efforts to more intentionally leverage the talent they bring in for the benefit and inspiration of the local community.
Value to the Community
Many of these competitions bring a significant number of visitors to Indy, supporting the hospitality jobs that keep them coming back. Access to such high-profile talent, whether it be the world's top athletes, scientists, or musicians, is rather unique for a city the size of Indy, offering front-row seats to inspire us with what's possible. An opportunity exists to leverage this talent to more intentionally benefit Indy's residents.Value to the Hospitality Industry
Indy's amateur sports strategy can be credited with helping put Indy on the global map, breathing new life into downtown Indy, and jumpstarting the city's convention and visitor industry. It is no longer limited to just sports, and continuing to position Indianapolis as a place that embraces competitive spirit continues to be a core driver for hospitality.Updates
- May 2022. NFL Combine Selects Indianapolis. Indy was selected to host the NFL Combine again for 2023 and 2024 after winning the first competitive bid to host the event since Indy first hosted it in 1987.
- March 2022. Olympic Swimming Trials. Indianapolis was selected as the host of the U.S Olympic Swimming Trials to be held in 2024, exactly a century after hosting the event in Broad Ripple. In both 1924 and 2024, the Indy qualifying event led athletes to Olympic games in Paris.
- January 2022. Indy Hosts First College Football Championship. Indy successfully hosted the 2022 CFP Championship game, its first time hosting the event.
- June 2021. Research & Development Hub opens at Grand Park. Grand Park launched the hub to serve as a center of innovation for entrepreneurs, businesses and universities that are developing new technologies, services and research projects related to facilities and activities within the sports tourism industry.
- March 2021. Indy Hosts Entire NCAA Men's Tournament. In a pandemic shift, Indy was selected to host the entire NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
- December 2017. Indy Championships Fund Established. The Fund was established to support the 2021 NCAA Tournament, the 2022 College Football Playoffs Championship Game, and the 2024 (rescheduled from 2021) NBA All-Star Game
- June 2014. Grand Park Opens. The City of Westfield opened Grand Park, a 400 acre park featuring an events center, 26 diamonds, and 31 fields.
