The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- August 2, 1999

Downtown location should be convenient for membership

The change to the Association's new location in Indianapolis' White River State Park will have a number of positive ramifications for the membership.

In particular, the transit time from the airport to the national office will be greatly diminished. The former office in Overland Park, Kansas, was about 35 minutes from Kansas City International Airport, but Indianapolis International Airport is only about 10 to 15 minutes from the new facility. The new building also will feature greater proximity to a number of full-service hotels.

What sets the NCAA site apart from the norm is its placement in White River State Park. The Indianapolis Zoo, botanical gardens, Victory Field, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art, and the Indiana Museum (under construction) are neighbors in the park, which is located along the banks of the White River that winds its way through Indianapolis.

The RCA Dome and other top-flight athletics facilities are within easy walking distance. The center of downtown Indianapolis is no more than a 10-minute walk.

Indianapolis is the most centrally located city in the top 100 United States mar-
kets. The business climate is known for a strong public/private partnership that has resulted in the completion of major projects such as the NCAA national office, the RCA Dome, Circle Centre Mall and the renovation of Union Station.

The city has a reputation as the "Amateur Sports Capital of America" and uses the following facilities to that end: the RCA Dome, the Indianapolis Sports Center (tennis), the IU Natatorium (swimming and diving) and Track and Field Stadium, the Indiana/
World Skating Academy (ice skating) and a velodrome (cycling).

Indianapolis also is home to a number of marquee professional sports events, including the RCA Tennis Championships, the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 500 auto race. In addition, the city is home to the Indianapolis Pacers of the National Basketball Association, the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League, the minor-league baseball Indianapolis Indians, and the Indianapolis Ice ice hockey team.

Cultural offerings include the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, the Indianapolis Opera Company, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Indiana Repertory Theatre, the Indianapolis Civic Theatre and the world-famous Children's Museum.