Sports in Indiana
The state of Indiana is home to a number of professional and college sports teams, as well as prominent auto racing.
Contents
Professional sports teams
As of 2013[update] Indiana has produced more National Basketball Association (NBA) players per capita than any other state. Muncie has produced the most per capita of any American city, with two other Indiana cities in the top ten.[1] It has a rich basketball heritage that reaches back to the formative years of the sport itself. The Indiana Pacers of the NBA play their home games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse; they began play in 1967 in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and joined the NBA when the leagues merged in 1976. Although James Naismith developed basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891, Indiana is where high school basketball was born. In 1925, Naismith visited an Indiana basketball state finals game along with 15,000 screaming fans and later wrote "Basketball really had its origin in Indiana, which remains the center of the sport." The 1986 film Hoosiers is inspired by the story of the 1954 Indiana state champions Milan High School. Professional basketball player Larry Bird was born in West Baden Springs and was raised in French Lick. He went on to lead the Boston Celtics to the NBA championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986.[2]
Indianapolis is home to the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference. The Colts have roots back to 1913 as the Dayton Triangles. They became an official team after moving to Baltimore, MD, in 1953. In 1984, the Colts relocated to Indianapolis, leading to an eventual rivalry with the Baltimore Ravens. After calling the RCA Dome home for 25 years, the Colts currently play their home games at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. While in Baltimore, the Colts won the 1970 Super Bowl. In Indianapolis, the Colts won Super Bowl XLI, bringing the franchise total to two. In recent years the Colts have regularly competed in the NFL playoffs.
List of current professional and amateur teams
*–Denotes a club that is on hiatus
List of former professional and amateur teams
| Club | Sport | Years | League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chi-Town Shooters | Ice hockey | 2008–11 | All American Hockey League |
| Elkhart Express | Basketball | 2006–09 | International Basketball League |
| Evansville Crush | Indoor Soccer | 2010–13 | Premier Arena Soccer League |
| Evansville IceMen | Ice hockey | 2008–10 | All American Hockey League |
| Evansville IceMen | Ice hockey | 2010–2016 | ECHL |
| Evansville Kings | Indoor Soccer | 2013–14 | Premier Arena Soccer League |
| Fort Wayne Fever | Soccer | 2003–09 | USL Premier Development League |
| Gary Steelheads | Basketball | 2000–08 | International Basketball League |
| Indiana Blizzard | Ice hockey | 2010 | All American Hockey League |
| Indiana Invaders | Soccer | 1998–2011 | USL Premier Development League |
College sports
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Indiana has had great sports success at the collegiate level. Schools fielding NCAA Division I athletic programs include:
Auto racing
Indiana has an extensive history with auto racing. Indianapolis hosts the Indianapolis 500 mile race over Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway every May. The name of the race is usually shortened to "Indy 500" and also goes by the nickname "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." The race attracts over 250,000 people every year making it the largest single day sporting event in the world. The track also hosts the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard (NASCAR) and the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix (MotoGP). From 2000 to 2007, it hosted the United States Grand Prix (Formula One).
Indiana features the world's largest and most prestigious drag race, the NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, held each Labor Day weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in Clermont, Indiana. Indiana is also host to two major unlimited hydroplane racing power boat race circuits in the major H1 Unlimited league: Thunder on the Ohio (Evansville, Indiana) and the Madison Regatta (Madison, Indiana).
Sports venues
List of Championships
| Team | League | Total | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Wayne Mad Ants | NBADL | 1 | 2013-14 |
| Indiana Pacers | ABA | 3 | 1969-70, 1971-72, 1972-73 |
| Indianapolis Colts | NFL | 1 | 2006 |
