A Pro Sports Tour of Indianapolis, Indiana

Basketball is a hallowed sport in the Midwest, and Indianapolis is no exception. Although high school and college basketball are huge in Indy, its men’s pro basketball team, the Indiana Pacers, is the biggest draw. The Indiana Fever, the pro women’s team, has a large following throughout the city as well. Both teams play at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse, which is different to most American sports stadiums because it was designed predominantly for basketball.

The Indy Eleven are a professional men’s soccer team that was founded in 2013 and play at the IU Michael A Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium. The team’s name references the 11 players on the field and the 11th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which served the Union in the Civil War.

Established in 1902, the Indianapolis Indians are the second-oldest minor league professional baseball team in the country. They’re a major league Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate and have won two International League and 12 American Association championships. The Indians play at Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis, which opened in 1996.

Hockey is another hugely popular sport in Indianapolis. The Indy Fuel are a minor league ice hockey team that are associated with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. They were founded in 2013 and play at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

Hoosiers in Indianapolis can’t help but bleed blue for their beloved home team, the Indianapolis Colts. Founded in 1953, this pro football team started in Baltimore, Maryland but the Colts officially relocated to Indianapolis in 1984 and won the Super Bowl championship in 2006. When the Colts first moved to Indy, they played in the downtown stadium first named the Hoosier Dome (later renamed the RCA Dome). In 2008, they moved to the newly constructed Lucas Oil Stadium.

For all Harry Potter fans out there – did you know that quidditch is now an official professional sport? Indianapolis couldn’t wait to get in on the action, forming its quidditch team, the Indianapolis Intensity, in 2015. You’ll find this intriguing sport go down at Watkins Park.