The NCAA News - News and Features

March 16, 1998

Construction begins on new national office

Indianapolis headquarters to open in August 1999

With a host of state and local officials on hand, groundbreaking ceremonies were conducted March 9 for the NCAA's new national office building in Indianapolis.

The program was attended by about 120 dignitaries, who braved cold temperatures, snow and wind.

Indiana Gov. Frank O'Bannon spoke enthusiastically about the complex, which will include the national headquarters and the NCAA Hall of Champions. O'Bannon said that the new facility, to be constructed in White River State Park near downtown Indianapolis, will bring economic and educational benefits to the city and the state for years to come.

"You've all heard us talk about the many reasons this is good for Indiana," O'Bannon said. "With the NCAA here, that means we'll host many of their committee meetings during the year and, hopefully, a few more championship events during the coming years."

O'Bannon also noted that the new facility will bring other economic opportunities for local businesses -- suppliers, distributors, construction and maintenance, and other services the NCAA will need to operate. In addition, it will bring thousands of new visitors and enhance Indianapolis' reputation as the "Amateur Sports Capital of the World,"he said.

"But as I've said in the past," O'Bannon said, "the most overlooked benefit is the educational component of the project.

"The Hall of Champions will be more than just a museum that pays tribute to college sports and athletes. It will be an enormous educational opportunity for scores of young Hoosiers and people who visit Indiana.

"That's why we wanted so strongly to include the NCAA as a part of the White River State Park. It will join the other educational and cultural sites like the Eiteljorg Museum, IMAX Theater, the National Institute of Fitness and Sports and the new State Museum."

NCAA Executive Director Cedric W. Dempsey echoed O'Bannon's sentiments and said that education is central to the mission of the NCAA.

"The celebration of student-athletes and the integration of athletics into the mission of higher education are central to the purpose of the Association," Dempsey said. "What we symbolically begin today will result in a physical statement of that mission."

Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith said the project was the latest indication of the city's renaissance. "Today's event demonstrates a wonderful convergence of the city, state and corporate communities," Goldsmith said. "This groundbreaking is yet another indication of the rebirth of downtown Indianapolis."

Others who participated in the ceremony were John Hodowal, chief executive officer of Indianapolis Power and Light, and Randall W. Tobias, chairman and chief executive officer of Eli Lilly and Co.

Tobias told The Indianapolis Star that a fund-raising drive for the NCAA project is nearing completion.

A total of $10 million in funding from the Lilly Foundation is contingent on $15 million in private funding. At the time of the relocation announcement in May, O'Bannon acknowledged that the private funding was not complete.

However, Tobias said March 9 that the fund-raising drive is near completion.

"We're probably within a million or a million and a half of the end, and we have a number of requests that are still outstanding, so we're getting there," Tobias told the newspaper.

Indianapolis officials said that fund-raising has been complicated by the concurrency of the NCAA initiative, efforts to retain the local National Football League team and construction of the new Indiana Pacers arena.

"It's really remarkable that the community, the state and the city can sort of figure out how to come up with the resources to achieve three very large projects all roughly at the same time," said Jack Swarbrick, board chairman of the Indiana Sports Corp.

The new NCAA facility will contain 140,000 square feet of office space and is expected to accommodate the Association's national office needs through at least 2020.

The Hall of Champions will be in an adjacent facility. It will contain 20,000 feet of exhibit space.

Construction timetable

Anticipated milestone dates for NCAA headquarters and Hall of Champions.

Construction

March 1998 -- Site work; utilities and foundation work begin

May 1998 -- Work begins on structural frame and elevators

October 1998 -- Work begins on interior finishes

Occupancy

August 1999 -- Move into headquarters

December 1999 -- Exhibit installation for Hall of Champions

Spring 2000 -- Hall of Champions opening