Lucas Oil Named Sports Facility of The Year

2009-06-01

May 29, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS – Lucas Oil Stadium has been named the Sports Facility of the Year by Street and Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal.

New, renovated or established sports facilities in North America whose primary function is hosting and staging sporting events were eligible for nomination. Among those sports venues in the running for this top national honor were Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox), Nationals Park (Washington Nationals) TD Banknorth Garden (Celtics and Bruins in Boston) and Wachovia Center, home of the Philadelphia 76ers.

According to the SportsBusiness Journal, Lucas Oil Stadium’s selling points include its multifunctional design for the NFL and the NCAA Final Four, its retractable roof, the world’s largest operable window that provides a view of downtown Indianapolis, its founding partner branding and its field-level suites in the end zone.

“We are honored to be selected for this award, and thanks to the wonderful design by HKS of Dallas, Texas, the Indianapolis skyline –and the image of Central Indiana — takes on a new prestigious status in the world of sports.” said John P. Klipsch, executive director of the Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority (ISCBA), the state agency responsible for constructing the stadium. The stadium is now managed by the Capitol Improvement Board of Managers of Marion County (CIB).

Lucas Oil Stadium is the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise, the site for the 2012 Super Bowl and is the host venue for NCAA basketball events, including the NCAA Men’s Final Four in 2010 and the NCAA Women’s Final Four in 2011. In addition, the stadium hosts IHSAA tournaments and myriad conventions, exhibitions and trade shows.

The announcement was made last night (Thursday, May 28, 2009) in New York during an awards ceremony represented by the ISCBA; HKS of Dallas, Texas, which served as the lead architect for the project; and the Indianapolis Colts.

“As a tenant of Lucas Oil Stadium, we are very pleased that this unique and outstanding multi-purpose facility was recognized in this way,” said Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay. “All along we’ve said the stadium is the jewel of sports facilities and now it has been confirmed independently by a prestigious nationally-known publication.”

Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal is a national weekly trade magazine headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is the flagship publication for the Street & Smith’s Sports Group.

Recently, the engineering of Lucas Oil Stadium won a Grand Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies at a gala in Washington, D.C.

The ISCBA is responsible for financing, designing and constructing Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center expansion. The expansion, which will be built at the RCA Dome site, is expected to be finished by late 2010. Like the stadium, it will be operated by the CIB.

Source: Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority