A 2014 study completed by the Indiana University Public Policy Institute in collaboration with the Sports Innovation Institute quantified the annual economic impact of sports in Central Indiana at $3.4 billion.
The study documents the scope of the sector which started with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and was accelerated by the sports strategy hatched by civic visionaries in the 1970s and 1980s.
While large and visible organizations like the NCAA, Indianapolis Colts, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indiana Pacers constitute a significant portion of the economic impact, there is now a vast economic ecosystem around sports in Central Indiana. Much of this is due to Indy’s history around sports innovation.