Sports and Scholarship: Why Indy Is the Place to Be

Sports innovation isn’t confined to arenas or stadiums—it’s an ecosystem that starts with education.

For this reason, I was proud to see IU Indianapolis represented by Liz Wanless, faculty member and director of our Sports Innovation Center, at last week’s TEDSports. Sharing the stage with leaders from NBC Sports, NASCAR, and the Premier League, Liz brought global conversations on AI, data, and fan technology back to our city.

At IU Indianapolis, our students don’t just hear about the future of sports—they live it. Earlier this year, IU Indianapolis students competed in the NFL Big Data Bowl and were invited to present their project at the Colts’ headquarters, last week’s Board of Trustees meeting Trey Wallace, a Chancellor’s Scholar in his third year studying event management, shared how his internship with the Indiana Pacers during the 2025 NBA Playoffs and Finals is preparing him for the career of his dream - a career and a future in sports management.

In the chain for approvals and soon to be launched are new programs in sports, including a 4+1 Accelerated degree with Sport Management and the Master's in Jurisprudence in McKinney and a co-major in Sports Business. Importantly, our learning environment goes beyond the traditional classroom and includes courses taught by professionals in the field and with assignments that require students to prepare a plan to host a large sports event or value a sports team.

In a city that lives and breathes sports, IU Indianapolis is preparing the next generation of leaders, analysts, and innovators for all things related to sports. And with our new 'JIM' there Is more to come.

Go Jags!

Latha Ramchand
Chancellor