Indianapolis Tabbed No. 3 Best Sports Business City by Sports Business Journal
Published on May 18, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Indiana Fever News Release
CHARLOTTE - Sports Business Journal (SBJ) has named Indianapolis as the No. 3 Best Sports Business City in the United States, the organization announced on Monday. The Best Sports Business Cities™ list highlights the top 50 cities for businesses operating in and around sports and influences strategic direction for sports business professionals across the United States.
Started in 2023, Best Sports Business Cities™ is an editorial initiative developed by Sports Business Journal, the industry's leading news source on the business of sports. Using extensive data from dozens of sources and insights from nearly 120 influential sports business executives, SBJ evaluated more than 2,000 markets to identify the top cities based on opportunity, economic environment and industry sentiment to identify cities with strong business presence, hiring potential and long-term investment viability.
Indianapolis ranked as the No. 3 Best Sports Business City of 2026, jumping eight spots from the inaugural rankings released in 2023 that placed the city at No. 11. Since the rankings were released in 2023, the city has hosted NBA All-Star 2024, the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming, WWE Royal Rumble, WNBA All-Star 2025, and the 2026 NCAA Men's Final Four as well as mainstay events on the calendar such as the Indianapolis 500, the NFL Combine, and the Big Ten Football Championship Game. Future events coming to the city include the 2028 Women's Final Four, 2028 Olympic Swimming Trials, and the 2029 Men's Final Four.
Indy has also invested over $3 billion in infrastructure projects into the city over the last few years highlighted by the 800-room Signia by Hilton and Convention Center expansion, the Westin Hotel at the Indianapolis International Airport, and the Ritz-Carlton hotel connected to Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Other infrastructure projects include the Indiana Fever Sports Performance Center, the redevelopment of Georgia Street, and the reimagined Traction Yards.
In 2024, Indiana Sports Corp launched the 2050 Vision, a 25-year statewide sports strategy to make Indiana the global epicenter of sport. The 2050 Vision is based on five pillars of focus: Sports Events, Sports Tech, Sports Academic, Sports Business Leadership, and Women's Sports. Indiana has already seen a growth in the state's sports ecosystem since the launch of the 2050 Vision including USA Gymnastics selecting Noblesville as the location for its proposed Training & Wellness Center (TWC), the launch of W.E. ARE NEXT, a groundbreaking leadership initiative designed to accelerate the next 100 W(omen) E(xecutives) across the sports industry, and the continued growth of National Governing Bodies like USA Track & Field and USA Football.
Atlanta was named in the top spot, followed by New York City, Indianapolis, Charlotte, and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from May 18, 2026
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Indiana Fever Stories
- Indianapolis Tabbed No. 3 Best Sports Business City by Sports Business Journal
- Fever Shore up Defense against Storm, Earn First Home Win
- Indiana Fever Claim Victory over Seattle Storm
- Fever Continue Homestand by Hosting Storm on Sunday
- Fever Fall Short Despite Clark's Heroics
