The NCAA News - News and Features

October 13, 1997

Work underway on establishing priorities, timing for new facility

Although the NCAA's move to Indianapolis will not take place for at least another 22 months, a number of discussions are taking place that will determine the appearance of the facility and the manner in which it is used.

The new building site is on the west side of downtown Indianapolis on land currently owned by Indianapolis Power and Light. At the moment, plans are to complete demolition of the structures on the site by early next year and to break ground on the new headquarters and NCAA Hall of Champions by late winter or early spring. Depending on how long construction takes, the NCAA will occupy the new facility in either August 1999 or the spring of 2000.

The new headquarters facility likely will be a four-story structure containing about 160,000 square feet. The Hall of Champions will be constructed adjacent to the headquarters facility and could contain up to 35,000 feet.

An architectural firm will be selected soon, and the first renderings of the new facility could be provided before the end of the year.

Five project teams have been formed in the national office to address issues relating to the move. "Mirror" project teams also are being formed in Indianapolis to facilitate the process.

The project teams involve communications, office facilities, the Hall of Champions, human resources and technology.

Because decisions in technology affect design, activity in that area has been especially active.

Some major technical changes will be made this year that will carry over into the move. Most notably, most NCAA staff members will move to a Windows-NT computer environment. Also, new telephone and fax/messaging systems will be installed. All will be transferrable to Indianapolis.

The technology project team also is examining other issues, among them establishment of a secure Intranet for the Association and the extent to which the NCAA will be able to use videoconferencing technology. Records storage, appropriate wiring, and the use and placement of satellite dishes are other items under consideration.

Regarding the Hall of Champions, care is being taken to make certain that the correct visitor-to-space ratio is identified for the new facility.

The Hall of Champions project team also is surveying similar attractions across the country to learn what approaches have proved popular. In addition, visitor attractions within Indianapolis are being canvassed in order to avoid duplicating existing features.

The staff also is addressing the question of how best to apply resources between the current Hall of Champions and the new one. Current planning anticipates that the Hall will be operational by the time of the 2000 Final Four (April 1 and 3).

The staff also is addressing human resource needs with the move in mind. Interviews for prospective staff members have been conducted in Indianapolis, and it is possible that an NCAA "job fair" will be conducted soon.

In addition, consultants have been, or soon will be, selected to assist with various parts of the move.

The staff is being kept up to date on developments through an "electronic newsletter" distributed through the office's messaging system.

As more substantial information about the move becomes available, it will be posted for the membership on the NCAA Online site on the World Wide Web.