Populous Partners with Pacers Sports & Entertainment on World-Class Sports Performance Center for Indiana Fever

Construction of the three-story, 108,000-square-foot, world-class training complex is expected to begin in August 2025 and open before the 2027 WNBA season. The Indiana Fever Sports Performance Center will be part of the PS&E campus and connected by skybridge to the Virginia Avenue Parking Garage and Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“We are excited to partner with Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett to identify the perfect location for the Indiana Fever Sports Performance Center,” PS&E Owner Herb Simon said. “The city of Indianapolis continues to be a tremendous partner as we elevate our team, players and community.”

While the project plans are being finalized, the center and amenities will be designed to address the specific needs of female athletes competing at the highest level, including performance and conditioning, recovery and rehabilitation, mental health and wellness, and lifestyle support.

Specifically, the facility will have best-in-class amenities including two regulation-sized courts with natural light, premier strength and conditioning equipment, yoga and Pilates area, hydration station and full-service kitchen. To help players recover and recharge, the facility will offer a spa-like retreat with massage, infrared light therapy, sauna, steam, heat studios, float tank and multiple hydrotherapy pools. The team will also have a private outdoor courtyard and mental performance spaces. The center will boast a hair and nail salon, childcare space, and podcast and content production studio to support player lifestyles.

“With the goal of Indianapolis becoming the epicenter of women’s sports, this world-class sports performance center will be the preeminent place for players to train, recover and push their boundaries,” PS&E CEO Mel Raines said. “It’s a game changer in terms of providing the ultimate player experience and we can’t wait for our team to reap the benefits of having an exclusive and unparalleled facility designed specifically for them.”

Raines said the center will offer exclusive fan experiences and a Fever team store with exciting and unique merchandise opportunities. The performance center will serve as a hub for the team to expand their community outreach and engagement efforts.

Currently, the team’s dedicated practice court and training area, which were renovated in 2020, are located within Gainbridge Fieldhouse and considered among the top facilities in the WNBA. Indiana Fever President of Basketball and Business Operations Kelly Krauskopf said having a stand-alone facility will elevate the team and fan experience.

“This elite training center is a reflection of our organization’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that our players have the highest level of resources to be successful,” Krauskopf said. “As we look to the future, the focus of creating a first-class player experience designed exclusively for women athletes will set us apart.”

An affiliate of PS&E will construct the facility on the west half of the former Marion County Jail site, located at the corner of Delaware and Maryland streets. The city of Indianapolis will make an intergovernmental land transfer to the Capitol Improvement Board of Marion County, which will enter into an operating agreement with the PS&E affiliate. The facility will be donated to the CIB at the conclusion of the term of the operating agreement. The Indiana Pacers and Indianapolis Colts practice facilities are also located on land owned by the CIB.

“Last year, we experienced an unprecedented boom in interest and attention on women’s sports around the world, led in large part by our very own Indiana Fever,” Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said. “Indianapolis is proud to see this significant investment from Pacers Sports & Entertainment drive further momentum in women’s basketball in our community and continue to elevate our status as a major league sports city.”

Construction will be led by Shiel Sexton and the architect of record is Populous, a global design firm known for being at the forefront of innovation and leading the charge in women’s professional sports.