Well, during the past year, about 100,000 people -- many of them children -- have visited the Hall. The attendance figure exceeds the previous one-year attendance record of 66,542 visitors (1994-95) when the Hall was located in Overland Park, Kansas.

"The state of Indiana and city of Indianapolis have been most supportive of the NCAA's initiatives through the Hall of Champions and we appreciate their good efforts," said NCAA President Cedric W. Dempsey. "The Hall has tremendous potential and we have learned much this first year. We look forward to taking that experience in developing more partnerships and marketing ideas to attract visitors."

Several grass-roots and youth initiatives have been received with open arms in Central Indiana. One of the Hall's primary focuses over the last year has been "Stay in Bounds," a character-education program promoting positive sportsmanship and principles of respect, integrity, caring, harmony, excellence and responsibility to the youth of Central Indiana. This pilot project is a collaborative effort among the National Federation of State High School Associations; the NCAA Foundation; area schools, youth-development and faith-based organizations; professional sports teams; and corporations.

The Hall's "teachable moments" have been incorporated into valuable lessons for everyday life. The response to this program from parents and educators has been outstanding, not to mention feedback received from the kids who have experienced the Stay in Bounds program and field trips to the Hall.

The Hall also has instituted the Circle of Champions in collaboration with the NCAA Foundation, which provides corporations and individual contributors a unique opportunity to give back directly to area schools and youth-development programs. Through this initiative, donors provide assistance to under-funded educational systems and other groups by sponsoring ticket "scholarships" for inspirational field trips to the Hall as part of their Stay in Bounds experience.

About 600 groups and organizations have chosen the Hall of Champions and NCAA Conference Center as the venue of choice for special events, meetings, luncheons, receptions and dinners. On March 10-11, the Hall was the national spotlight for CBS Sports' televised coverage of NCAA college basketball, culminating in announcement of the tournament bracket for the Division I Men's Basketball Championship on March 11. The Hall also hosted ESPN's remote coverage of the tournament bracket announcement for the Division I Women's Basketball Championship on March 11.

The Hall also has partnered with White River State Park (where the Hall is located), the Indiana Sports Corporation, the Circle City Classic, Caldwell VanRiper/MARC advertising agency and others to establish the Hall of Champions as a "must-see" attraction for visitors throughout Indiana. Initiatives with the National Tour Association, American Bus Association, Heartland Travel Association, and the International Association of Sports Museums and Halls of Fame have created an identity for the Hall to attract visitors nationally.

"The Hall's first year in Indianapolis has been extremely successful by anyone's standards," said Jim Shaffer, director of the Hall. "It also has been a year of experimentation, change, creating an identity and building partnerships. We certainly have much work ahead, but all in all, we are very pleased with the progress the Hall has made to educate visitors about the NCAA, particularly promoting the many virtues of student-athletes.

"The Hall's message that speaks to the 'journey' of the student-athlete representing all that is good about the NCAA is a message we would like everyone to hear. A visit to the Hall certainly changes one's perception about the NCAA and student-athletes. Its outstanding message also transcends sports for any endeavor in the pursuit of excellence."

Hall a year-round attraction