Driving the Next 50 Years of Growth in Women's Sports
Making Indianapolis the women’s sports capital
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Women's sports are a vital pillar of Indy's sports future. Photo: Justin L. Mack/Axios
Local sports and civic leaders say the Circle City is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the rise of women's sports as they work to make Indianapolis the most important sports city in the world.
The big picture: The women's sports explosion is showing no signs of slowing down — as the Indiana Fever's success attests.
- With this new level of fandom, investors are taking notice of the business benefits related to leagues like the WNBA and the NWSL, Axios' Sara Fischer reports.
Driving the news: The Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Indiana Sports Corp. came together to host the inaugural Indiana Women's Summit Thursday at the Indiana Convention Center.
- Vanessa Green Sinders — the first woman to become President and CEO of the Indiana Chamber — said the focus of the gathering was to highlight sports as both an economic engine and individual engine for Hoosier women.
- She mentioned that the idea for the conference emerged while discussing Indiana Sports Corp.'s new strategic plan and the crucial role women's sports play in its success.
Between the lines: Women's sports fans offer economic opportunities due to higher engagement rates compared to men's, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers research.
- PwC says you're three times more likely to attend a women's game if you follow a female athlete, and you're nearly three times more likely to purchase apparel if you attend a game.
Flashback: Sarah Myer, chief of staff and strategy for Indiana Sports Corp., said in the late 1970s, the vision was for Indianapolis to become the amateur sports capital of the country by focusing on three pillars.
- "Forty-five years later, with more than 500 national and international events on our resume, some of the best venues in the country and incredible organizations … I think we can confidently say that we saw that vision through," she said.
- "But we have to keep moving forward. We have to evolve. We need our next vision."
Zoom in: Myer says the new vision is to make Indiana the "global epicenter of sports" by 2050, with women's sports serving as a key pillar guiding their decision-making in that pursuit.
- "We defined this as focusing on creating the leading women's sports ecosystem and developing women leaders in sports," she said.
What's next: Indy will take a big step toward that goal in 2025 when Gainbridge Fieldhouse hosts the 21st WNBA All-Star Game on July 19.
- Mel Raines, CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, confirmed the news during a panel discussion at the event.
Other topics tackled during the day included how mental health affects work performance, the importance of self-advocacy, brand building, NIL deals and more.
- Raines was joined on stage by Indiana Fever President and COO Allison Barber, Indiana Sports Corp. VP Melissa Thompson and Horizon League Commissioner Julie Roe Lach.
The bottom line: As women continue to change the game, Indy sports fans will have a front-row seat to the revolution.
- "This is not a moment," Myer said. "This is a movement."