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Indy’s hosting of this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend marks the culmination of a 40-year remarkable career in Indy sports. Rick Fuson, CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, will step down from his position June 18, exactly 40 years to the date of his joining the organization.
Rick joined the Indiana Pacers organization after graduating from Indiana University in 1984. He served as director of special events and helped plan the 1985 NBA All-Star game, the last and only previous time Indianapolis has played host. Rick rose through the ranks of the Pacers organization and earned the trust and respect of the Simon family and his NBA peers over the course of the next 40 years. But it is his selfless work and leadership in our community that puts Rick in a select group of civic leaders who have made outsized contributions to our city’s stature as a preeminent host of world-class events.
One of Rick’s more important contributions is his involvement in building one of downtown’s iconic venues, Gainbridge Fieldhouse. He supervised the construction of Gainbridge and served as lead operations manager. In addition to serving as home court for Pacers and Fever games, Gainbridge has added to the vibrancy of downtown, hosting IHSAA Championships, Big Ten Championships, NCAA competitions, world-class concerts and many important civic events throughout the year.
Numerous Final Fours for both men and women—along with the Indy 2012 Super Bowl, the 1991 World Gymnastics Championships, numerous men’s and women’s Big Ten Basketball Championships and many more sporting events—have Rick’s fingerprints on them. He has been intimately involved in bids to win these important events and worked diligently to ensure their successful organization and execution, including important philanthropic legacy projects that ensure the impact of these events goes well beyond the actual games.
Rick has also been an important contributor to numerous civic organizations, where he has tirelessly advocated for improvements to his beloved city and state. His leadership at the Indiana Sports Corp., Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Indy Chamber, Indy Public Safety Foundation, Visit Indy and many other organizations has benefited those organizations and the community at large.
His work as board chair of the Indiana Sports Corp. during the pandemic helped convince the NCAA to host the entire 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in Indiana—an unprecedented achievement that went off without a hitch and helped further cement Indy’s reputation for hosting large-scale events like no other city can.
Rick has been an advocate for women and minorities at Pacers Sports & Entertainment and beyond, serving as a mentor to many, including serving as a moderator for the Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Program. His work to promote women and minorities was honored by Sports Business Journal’s inaugural “All in: Leaders in Diversity and Inclusive Hiring.”
Rick’s dedicated efforts over the past four decades have undoubtedly made our city better and elevated Indianapolis as a world-class host of major events and championships, including this weekend’s NBA All-Star Game.
Outside of Indiana, Indy is known for doing the little things well and always having a unique attribute to our events. Rick Fuson’s contributions to this well-deserved reputation, and our city’s and state’s growth, have been profound. Congratulations, Rick, and thank you for your four-decade all-star performance.•
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Feltman is publisher of IBJ and CEO of IBJ Media. Send comments to nfeltman@ibj.com.
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