Sports in Indianapolis facts for kids

Indianapolis is a super exciting city for sports! It's home to many professional teams, college sports, and lots of big sporting events. In fact, Indianapolis has 11 professional sports teams and three college teams that play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Two of the biggest American sports leagues, the Indianapolis Colts (football) and Indiana Pacers (basketball), have teams here.

There are also many teams that play at a slightly lower, "minor league" level. These include the Indiana Fever (women's basketball), the Indianapolis Indians (baseball), the Indianapolis AlleyCats (ultimate disc), and the Indy Eleven (soccer).

Indianapolis is also special because it's where the NCAA, which runs college sports in the U.S., has its main office. Plus, it's home to the famous Indianapolis 500 race!

Major League Teams in Indianapolis

Indianapolis is proud to host teams from some of the biggest sports leagues in the country.

Club	League	Sport	Venue	Founded	Established in Indianapolis	Championships in Indianapolis
Indianapolis Colts	NFL	Football	Lucas Oil Stadium	1953	1984	1 Super Bowl
Indiana Pacers	NBA	Basketball	Gainbridge Fieldhouse	1967	1967	3 ABA Championships; 0 NBA Championships
Indiana Fever	WNBA	Women's Basketball	Gainbridge Fieldhouse	2000	2000	1 WNBA Championship

Indianapolis Colts (NFL)

The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team. They play in the National Football League (NFL). The Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984 from Baltimore.

A big change happened for the team in 1998 when they drafted Peyton Manning, a star quarterback from the University of Tennessee. He helped turn the team into one of the best. The Colts won Super Bowl XLI in 2006, beating the Chicago Bears. Their home stadium is Lucas Oil Stadium, which opened in 2008.

Indiana Pacers (NBA)

The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team in Indianapolis. They started playing in the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967 and won three ABA championships. In 1976, they joined the National Basketball Association (NBA).

In 1987, the Pacers drafted Reggie Miller, who became a team legend. He helped the team reach the playoffs many times. In 2000, the Pacers played in their first and only NBA Finals, but they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Their home arena is Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Indiana Fever (WNBA)

The Indiana Fever are a professional women's basketball team. They are part of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Fever joined the league in 2000.

In 2001, they drafted Tamika Catchings, a superstar who became the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2002. She led the team in many ways for years. The Fever reached the WNBA Finals for the first time in 2009. Then, in 2012, they won their first WNBA Championship by defeating the Minnesota Lynx! They also play at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Minor League Teams in Indianapolis

Indianapolis also has several exciting minor league teams. These teams often help players develop their skills before moving to major leagues.

Club	League	Sport	Venue	Founded	Established in Indianapolis	Championships in Indianapolis
Indianapolis Indians	International (Triple-A)	Baseball	Victory Field	1902	1902	2 International League; 12 American Association
Indy Eleven	USLC	Soccer	IU Michael A. Carroll Stadium Eleven Park (planned 2025)	2013	2013	1 NASL Spring Season
Indy Eleven Women	USLW USLS (planned 2025)	Women's Soccer	Grand Park Eleven Park (planned 2025)	2022	2022	1 USL W League
Indy Fuel	ECHL	Hockey	Indiana Farmers Coliseum Fishers Event Center (planned 2024)	2014	2014	0
Indiana Mad Ants	NBAG	Basketball	Gainbridge Fieldhouse Noblesville Event Center (planned 2024)	2007	2023	0
Fishers Freight	IFL	Indoor Football	Fishers Event Center (planned 2025)	2023	2025 (planned)	0
Indy Ignite	PVF	Volleyball	Fishers Event Center (planned 2025)	2023	2025 (planned)	0

Indianapolis Indians

The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team. They play in the International League and are connected to the Pittsburgh Pirates major league team. The Indians play their games at Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis.

This team is very old, starting in 1902. It's the second-oldest minor league team in professional sports!

Indy Eleven

Indy Eleven is a professional soccer team that started in 2013. They play at the IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium. In 2016, they won their first championship, the Spring Season Championship, without losing a game! They almost won the overall league championship that year too. The team plans to move to a new stadium called Eleven Park in 2025.

Indy Eleven Women

The Indy Eleven Women are a professional women's soccer team that began in 2022. They play at Grand Park in Westfield, a suburb of Indianapolis. In 2023, they won the USL W-League Championship! They also plan to move to Eleven Park in 2025 and might join a top-tier league, which would make them a major league team.

Indy Fuel

The Indy Fuel is a minor league ice hockey team. They play in the ECHL, which is the third level of professional hockey in North America. The team started in 2013 and is connected to the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks. They play at Indiana Farmers Coliseum but are expected to move to the Fishers Event Center in Fishers in 2024.

Indiana Mad Ants

The Indiana Mad Ants are a minor league basketball team in the NBA G League. They started in 2007 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and won a championship in 2014. In 2015, the Indiana Pacers bought the team. In 2023, it was announced they would move to Indianapolis. They will play at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the 2023-24 season, then move to the new Noblesville Event Center.

Fishers Freight

In November 2023, it was announced that a new indoor football team, the Fishers Freight, would join the Indoor Football League. They are expected to start playing in 2025 when the Fishers Event Center is finished.

Indy Ignite

In December 2023, a new professional volleyball team, the Indy Ignite, was announced. They will be part of the Pro Volleyball Federation and are expected to start playing in 2025 at the new Fishers Event Center.

Collegiate Sports

Indianapolis has three universities with teams in the NCAA:

• Butler University (Butler Bulldogs) and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI Jaguars) play in Division 1.
• The University of Indianapolis plays in Division 2.
• Marian University Knights compete in the NAIA.

Motorsports

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is famous for hosting one of the world's most well-known auto races, the Indianapolis 500. This race has the most fans attending a single-day sporting event anywhere! The Speedway also hosts the IndyCar Grand Prix and NASCAR's Brickyard 400. It has also hosted Formula 1 and Moto GP races in the past.

Many IndyCar racing teams are based in Indianapolis, including Andretti Global and Chip Ganassi Racing.

Events Hosted

Indianapolis is known for hosting many big sporting events. While car racing has been a huge part of the city for over a hundred years, other sports like swimming and basketball have also become very important.

NCAA Championships

Indianapolis has a special connection with college sports because the NCAA headquarters and Hall of Fame are located here. The city has hosted many NCAA national championship events.

Indianapolis has hosted the Men's and Women's NCAA Final Fours (the final games of the college basketball tournament) many times. Indianapolis has hosted the second most Men's Final Fours, with eight, and is scheduled to host more in 2026 and 2029. It's also tied for hosting the most Women's Final Fours.

Men's Basketball

Year	Stadium	Champion
1980	Market Square Arena	Louisville
1991	Hoosier Dome	Duke
1997	RCA Dome	Arizona
2000		Michigan State
2006		Florida
2010	Lucas Oil Stadium	Duke
2015		Duke
2021		Baylor
2026
2029

Women's Basketball

Year	Stadium	Champion
2005	RCA Dome	Baylor
2011	Gainbridge Fieldhouse	Texas A&M
2016		Connecticut
2028

Fencing

Year	Stadium	Champion
2017	Indiana Farmers Coliseum	Notre Dame

Rowing

Year	Stadium	Champion
2002	Eagle Creek Park	Brown
2003		Harvard
2013		Ohio State
2014		Ohio State

Men's Swimming and Diving

The Indiana University Natatorium has hosted many big swimming events, including 13 Olympic Trials. Many world records have been broken there by famous swimmers like Michael Phelps.

Year	Stadium	Champion
1983	Indiana University Natatorium	Florida
1986		Stanford
1988		Texas
1989		Texas
1990		Texas
1992		Stanford
1993		Stanford
1995		Michigan
1999		Auburn
2013		Michigan
2017		Texas

Women's Swimming and Diving

Year	Stadium	Champion
1984	Indiana University Natatorium	Texas
1987		Texas
1989		Stanford
1991		Texas
1994		Stanford
1997		USC
2000		Georgia
2013		Georgia
2017		Stanford

Indoor Track and Field

Year	Stadium	Men's Champion	Women's Champion
1989	Hoosier Dome	Aransas	LSU
1990		Arkansas	Texas
1991		Arkansas	LSU
1992		Arkansas	Florida
1993		Arkansas	LSU
1994	RCA Dome	Arkansas	LSU
1995		Arkansas	LSU
1996		George Mason	LSU
1997		Arkansas	LSU
1998		Arkansas	Texas
1999		Arkansas	Texas

Outdoor Track and Field

Year	Stadium	Men's Champion	Women's Champion
1986	Carroll Stadium	SMU	Texas

Women's Volleyball

Year	Stadium	Champion
1987	Market Square Arena	Hawaiʻi

Men's Water Polo

Year	Stadium	Champion
1989	Indiana University Natatorium	UC Irvine

Women's Water Polo

Year	Stadium	Champion
2017	Indiana University Natatorium	Stanford

College Football Playoff

In 2017, it was announced that Indianapolis would host the 2022 College Football Playoff Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium. This was the first time this big college football championship was held outside of the South or West.

Year	Stadium	Champion
2022	Lucas Oil Stadium	Georgia

Big Ten Basketball Tournament

Indianapolis has often hosted the Big Ten men's and women's basketball tournaments. The Big Ten women's tournament has been held in Indianapolis almost every year since 1995.

Horizon League Basketball Tournament

The Indiana Farmers Coliseum became the regular home for the Horizon League men's basketball tournament starting in 2020.

Big Ten Football Championship Game

Since 2011, Indianapolis has been the host city for the Big Ten Football Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium. This game decides the champion of the Big Ten conference.

Indianapolis Tennis Championships

From 1988 to 2009, Indianapolis hosted a professional tennis tournament. Many famous players like Pete Sampras and Andy Roddick played there.

Motorsports Events

Indianapolis is famous for its racing events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including the Indy 500. Other big races include NASCAR's Brickyard 400. The Lucas Oil Raceway also hosts drag racing events like the NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Car Racing

Races	Years	Race	Series	Venue
101	1911–1916 1919–1941 1946–present	Indianapolis 500	IndyCar Series	Indianapolis Motor Speedway
56	1961–present	NHRA U.S. Nationals	NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series	Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park
29	1982–2011	Kroger 200	NASCAR Nationwide Series	Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park
24	1994–present	Verizon 200 at the Brickyard	Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series	Indianapolis Motor Speedway
17	1995–2011 2022–present	TSport 200	NASCAR Camping World Truck Series	Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park
15	2003–2019	Freedom 100	Firestone Indy Lights	Indianapolis Motor Speedway
8	2000–2007	United States Grand Prix	Formula One World Championship	Indianapolis Motor Speedway
6	1998–2003	IROC at Indy	International Race of Champions	Indianapolis Motor Speedway
6	2012–present	Lilly Diabetes 250	NASCAR Xfinity Series	Indianapolis Motor Speedway
4	2014–present	IndyCar Grand Prix	IndyCar Series	Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Motorcycle Racing

Races	Years	Race	Series	Venue
8	2008–2015	Red Bull Indianapolis GP	MotoGP World Championship	Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Aircraft Racing

Races	Years	Race	Series	Venue
1	2016–present	Red Bull Air Race of Indianapolis	Red Bull Air Race World Championship	Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Super Bowl

Indianapolis successfully hosted Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Many people thought Indianapolis did a great job hosting the event, and the NFL Commissioner even said the city might host future Super Bowls.

Season	Game	Stadium	Winner	Loser	Score
2011	XLVI	Lucas Oil Stadium	New York Giants	New England Patriots	21–17

NFL Combine

The NFL Combine is a big event where college football players show off their skills to NFL teams before the draft. Indianapolis has hosted the NFL Combine since 1987, first at the RCA Dome and then at Lucas Oil Stadium starting in 2009. Coaches and team managers from all 32 NFL teams come to Indianapolis in February to watch these young players.

All-Star Games

Indianapolis has hosted several all-star games, where the best players from different teams play together. This includes games for the ABA, NBA, and Triple-A baseball. Indianapolis is set to host the NBA All-Star Game again in 2024.

ABA All-Star Game

Year	Stadium	Winner	Loser	Score
1968	Hinkle Fieldhouse	East	West	126–120
1970	Fairgrounds Coliseum	West	East	128–98

NBA All-Star Game

Year	Stadium	Winner	Loser	Score
1985	Hoosier Dome	West	East	140–129
2024	Gainbridge Fieldhouse	East	West	211-186

Triple-A All-Star Game

Year	Stadium	Winner	Loser	Score
2001	Victory Field	PCL	IL	9–5

ECHL All-Star Game

Year	Stadium	Winner	Loser	Score
2018	Indiana Farmers Coliseum	Mountain Division	South Division	6–5 (SO)

ABA and NBA Finals

The championship games for basketball leagues are hosted by the teams that make it to the finals. The Indiana Pacers have hosted many championship games in Indianapolis. They hosted ABA Finals games five times between 1969 and 1975.

In 2000, the Pacers hosted their first NBA Finals games at Conseco Fieldhouse (now Gainbridge Fieldhouse).

ABA Finals

Year	Game	Stadium	Winner	Loser	Score
1969	Game 3	Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum	Oakland Oaks	Indiana Pacers	134–126
	Game 4		Oakland Oaks	Indiana Pacers	144–117
1970	Game 1	Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum	Indiana Pacers	Los Angeles Stars	109–93
	Game 2		Indiana Pacers	Los Angeles Stars	114–111
	Game 5		Los Angeles Stars	Indiana Pacers	117–113
1972	Game 1	Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum	Indiana Pacers	New York Nets	124–103
	Game 2		New York Nets	Indiana Pacers	117–115
	Game 5		Indiana Pacers	New York Nets	100–99
1973	Game 3	Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum	Kentucky Colonels	Indiana Pacers	92–88
	Game 4		Indiana Pacers	Kentucky Colonels	90–86
	Game 6		Kentucky Colonels	Indiana Pacers	109–93
1975	Game 3	Market Square Arena	Kentucky Colonels	Indiana Pacers	109–101
	Game 4		Indiana Pacers	Kentucky Colonels	94–86

NBA Finals

Year	Game	Stadium	Winner	Loser	Score
2000	Game 3	Conseco Fieldhouse	Indiana Pacers	Los Angeles Lakers	100–91
	Game 4		Los Angeles Lakers	Indiana Pacers	120–118 (OT)
	Game 5		Indiana Pacers	Los Angeles Lakers	120–87

WNBA Finals

The Indiana Fever have hosted WNBA Finals games three times: in 2009, 2012, and 2015. In 2012, the Fever won their championship in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals right in Indianapolis! This was the first time a professional basketball championship was won in the city.

Year	Game	Stadium	Winner	Loser	Score
2009	Game 3	Conseco Fieldhouse	Indiana Fever	Phoenix Mercury	86–85
	Game 4		Phoenix Mercury	Indiana Fever	90–77
2012	Game 3	Bankers Life Fieldhouse	Indiana Fever	Minnesota Lynx	76–59
	Game 4		Indiana Fever	Minnesota Lynx	87–78
2015	Game 3	Bankers Life Fieldhouse	Minnesota Lynx	Indiana Fever	80–77
	Game 4		Indiana Fever	Minnesota Lynx	75–69

Bold means the team won the WNBA Championship in that game.

Pan American Games

Indianapolis hosted the 1987 Pan American Games in 1987. Over 4,000 athletes from 38 countries competed in 30 different sports.

FIBA World Championships

Indianapolis hosted the 2002 FIBA World Championship for international basketball teams. This was the first time the United States hosted this event. The tournament had 62 games, with the championship game held at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Golf

Indianapolis has hosted many major golf tournaments. The Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, a nearby suburb, has hosted events like the 1991 PGA Championship. The Brickyard Crossing Course, which is partly inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, also hosts golf events.

Mini-Marathon

Since 1977, Indianapolis has hosted a mini-marathon (a half-marathon race) in May, usually before the Indianapolis 500. This event, called the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, is the largest mini-marathon in America. The race course includes a lap around the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Amateur Sports

Indianapolis also has many amateur sports teams and leagues.

Indianapolis Teams

• The Indianapolis Tornados are a men's minor league football team.
• The Indiana Speed are a women's football team.
• The F. C. Indiana (NPSL) and Indianapolis Braves are soccer teams.
• The F. C. Indiana (WPSL) is a women's soccer team.
• The Indianapolis Impalas are a rugby team.
• The Indy Eleven Women are a women's soccer team.

Ice Hockey

The Indiana Ice played in the United States Hockey League, which is for young hockey players (20 and younger). They played their games at the Fairgrounds Coliseum.

Cricket

Cricket is a popular sport among some communities in Indianapolis. The city even built the Indianapolis World Sports Park with a cricket stadium to host games. There are local amateur teams and programs to teach cricket to young people in Indiana schools.

Hurling

Hurling is a traditional Irish sport played in Indianapolis by the Indianapolis Gaelic Athletic Association. They have been playing hurling since 2002 and compete nationally.

Little League Baseball and Softball

Little League, a youth baseball and softball organization, has its Central Region Headquarters in Indianapolis. Since 2011, this center has hosted tournaments to decide which teams will represent the Central Region in the Little League World Series.

Defunct Teams