Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIn the Oct. 6 IBJ, Greg Morris extolled the virtues of Nashville, Tennessee, and the city’s thorough Music City branding effort. Morris encouraged Indy to develop our brand by focusing on who and what we already are.
Those of us at Sports Circle Indy, an association formed three years ago to foster networking and advocacy in central Indiana’s sports industry, believe we already have that brand: Sports City, USA.
Years ago, Indy bravely, if ambitiously, dubbed itself the Amateur Sports Capital of America. With six national governing bodies located here and the attraction of such mega events as the 1982 National Sports Festival and the 1987 Pan American Games, the label stuck.
Sports remains our calling card. Since then, Indy has attracted and retained the Colts, the Pacers, the Indians, the Fever, and recently, the Indy Eleven and the Indy Fuel.
The epicenter for sports administration, Indy is home to the NCAA, the National Federation of High School Associations, and six national governing bodies of Olympic sport. The presence of the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Institute of Sports Journalism and several sports medicine facilities demonstrates our robust presence in these fields as well.
The first entity of its kind, Indiana Sports Corp. remains the country’s foremost sports commission.
The range of events that take place and the venues that house them are unmatched, including: the Indy 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Super Bowl and Lucas Oil Stadium, Lucas Oil Raceway, the Final Four and Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Big Ten football and basketball championships, the USA Gymnastics championships, the BMW Championship, the Fairgrounds Coliseum, Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Major Taylor Velodrome, Eagle Creek’s rowing course, Victory Field (the “Best Minor League Ballpark in America”), and the soon-to-be-refurbished Indiana University Natatorium (still the fastest pool in the world).
In simple terms, no city in America can match Indy’s entire package. So, Mr. Morris, if you’re seeking that brand, here it is: Sports City, USA. Have at it.
__________
Sports Circle Indy Inc.
Board of Directors
Bill Benner
Amie Peele Carter, Secretary
Ronda Hite, Treasurer
Kelly Krauskopf
Ralph Reiff, Vice President
Ken Ungar, President
Norm Wain
Starla West
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.