Indianapolis is the best sports town in America. Period. Big city teams often steal the limelight but if you measure by the opportunities for fans to take in the largest variety of sports in quality facilities, Indianapolis wins hands down. (Incidentally, if sports doesn't interest you, all these great facilities are excellent venues for Indianapolis concerts.)

First let's talk about the four major sports.

Indianapolis has the Colts and the Pacers. Both play in world-class modern stadiums and play at the top level of their respective sports. The Pacers’ home, Conseco Fieldhouse, has been voted the finest facility in the NBA. The Colts have been to the Super Bowl twice in the past 5 years.

Indy doesn’t have a Major League Baseball team, but it does have the oldest and winningest Triple A team in the country. In fact, if you look at all of the levels of minor league baseball and include the majors, only the Yankees have won more championships than the Indianapolis Indians. As for facilities, both Sports Illustrated and Baseball America have called Victory Field, the best minor league ballpark in America.

Hockey has been an ongoing sport in Indianapolis since the 1970’s. Most notably, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky played for the Indianapolis Racers before joining the Edmonton Oilers. Indy doesn’t have an NHL team, but the Indiana Ice were the 2009 National Champions in the USHL.

At first glance, you might think this isn't enough to stand up to those other towns with 2 minor league teams in the “big 4” sports. But this is about variety and opportunity. And Indy blows those towns away. Consider college sports.

Indianapolis hosts the men’s and women’s Final 4 in basketball on a rotating 4-5 year basis. In between, a regional, or super regional and the Big Ten tournament is held in Indianapolis. So, in any given year, there is some portion of college (men’s and women’s) basketball’s post season being played in Indianapolis. The Circle City is also home to Butler University and historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. Hinkle was named as one of the top 5 college basketball venues in the country by ESPN.

Beyond college basketball, Indianapolis has hosted NCAA Championships in volleyball, track and field, swimming and diving, rowing, and gymnastics. It was the site of the Pan Am Games, the World Fire Games, and the Circle City Classic football game.

Do you like racing? Well, this is where Indy really shines. Who hasn’t heard of the Indianapolis 500? Few one-day sporting events have more international viewers.  The Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race and the Red Bull Grand Prix.  In addition, Indianapolis has the Speedrome and O’Reilly Raceway Park, making the city THE destination for race fans. Throw in motocross and monster trucks at Lucas Oil Stadium, and you can view practically any form of racing in Indianapolis.  

Alternative sports your thing? Indy has those options for you to choose from as well. The Major Taylor Velodrome offers a distinctive venue to watch bicycle racing. The Naptown Roller Girls routinely sell out their matches as part of the National Flat Track Derby Association and the Indiana Speed are entering their fifth season as part of the Women’s Football Alliance.

Indianapolis might not have the Yankees, or the Celtics, or one of the history rich franchises of the “Big 4” sports. But, it does have more unique sporting opportunities than any city in America. So, if you’re a fan of sports and a fan of variety, Indianapolis is the best sports town in America.

Jeff Stanger

Jeff Stanger's blog is at www.CarryOnCitizen.com. Jeff is a lifelong sports fan (Go Hoosiers!) and loves to write about it. He is a non-profit fundraising consultant and author.