IU Indianapolis arena to be named after late Jim Morris

The arena would occupy this site, just north of the NCAA headquarters campus. State and city officials hope the arena’s proximity to downtown would attract more NCAA championships, esports competitions and other events. (IBJ photo/Eric Learned)

The $110 million athletic venue planned for Indiana University Indianapolis will be named in honor of longtime civic, government and business leader Jim Morris.

The 4,500-seat facility, slated for the northwest corner of Blackford and Wabash Streets, will be called James T. Morris Arena, following a vote Friday by the IU Board of Trustees.

Morris, who died in July at 81, was one of central Indiana’s most influential business and civic leaders for more than six decades. He served several terms on the university’s board, including twice as its chair.

“No individual epitomized the idea of service to IU and the city of Indianapolis more than Jim Morris,” IU President Pamela Whitten said in written comments. “This recognition is only fitting for our vision of an arena that will serve both the university and the community. It was Jim’s advocacy at the Statehouse that helped propel this project forward, and now generations of IU students and campus visitors will benefit.”

Morris helped usher in Unigov during his six years as chief of staff for then-Indianapolis Mayor Richard Lugar from 1967-73 and helped create IUPUI, which formally split into two universities—Indiana University-Indianapolis and Purdue University in Indianapolis—earlier this year.

He also helped develop Market Square Arena and establish the Indiana Sports Corp., and served as president of Lilly Endowment Inc., where he earmarked $25 million to help build the Hoosier Dome and raised funds for projects including the Indianapolis Zoo.

From 1989-2002, Morris was chair and CEO of Indianapolis Water Co./IWC Resources. And from 2002-2005, he served as executive director of the World Food Programme, before joining the Indiana Pacers in 2007, later moving into the role of vice chair of Pacers Sports and Entertainment.

“Like many projects and programs throughout our state, this facility would not have been possible without Jim Morris,” said Quinn Buckner, IU Board of Trustees chair. “The James T. Morris Arena will help recognize his enduring legacy on sports, community and scholarship in our city and our state.”

The 134,500-square-foot arena will be home to the IU Indianapolis men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball programs, as well as university athletic offices and USA Track & Field.

The facility will have seating for 4,500 spectators, as well as an auxiliary gymnasium, multiple community spaces and an unspecified amount of support spaces for the school’s athletic programs, such as locker rooms, a training room and a weight room.

The State Budget Committee earlier this year approved $89 million in funding for the project, while university trustees allotted an additional $21 million.

The arena will occupy part of a 7-acre green space between the Herron School of Art and Design to the north and the NCAA and National Federation of State High School Associations headquarters complex, and Military Park to the south.

Morris’ son, Tim, who is a current trustee for the university, said the family is appreciative of IU’s decision to recognize his father.

“Our father’s passion for Indiana University was matched only by his commitment to Indianapolis and the state of Indiana, so it is only fitting that the James T. Morris Arena will be built to serve each of them,” he said.

The arena is expected to open by the end of 2026.