On April 26, citiesjournal.com released a list for the top 13 best sports cities in the United States. Seattle, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Miami were on the list. Guess what city did not make the list? Indianapolis.

As a person who has  lived in the Indianapolis metropolitan area for nearly my entire life, I was appalled at the fact that Indianapolis was left out. While Indianapolis has that small-city feel and is not as big as cities such as New York or Chicago, which did appear on the list, the impact our city has on the sports world is vital.

For starters, Indianapolis hosted Super Bowl XLVI three years ago. In an interview with WTHR three days before that Super Bowl, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell praised the hospitality of the people in Indianapolis. As a matter of fact, Indianapolis bid to host the Super Bowl in 2018. Although Indy lost that bid to Minneapolis, a Forbes.com article published three months ago stated that Indianapolis will most likely be successful in hosting future Super Bowls..

Moreover, the Indianapolis Colts also play a vital part in the NFL community. In the last 10 years, the Colts have made a name for themselves with superstars such as quarterback Peyton Manning, receiver Reggie Wayne and running back Edgerrin James. Furthermore, the Colts showed the NFL they are a team to beat as they made it to the playoffs nine times in the last 10 years. Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Colts’, is packed with fans during home games. Last season, fans filled up 104.7 percent of the stadium’s maximum capacity during home games, which counted fourth in the league.

Football is not the only way that Indianapolis affects the sports world. The city is significant in basketball as well. Indiana is known as a hotbed for basketball and the state capital hosts the state’s NBA team, the Indiana Pacers. In the 1990’s and the 2000’s, the Pacers were one of the most dominant teams in the NBA. Fans also adored retired player Reggie Miller when he played for the Pacers from 1987-2005. Just in the past three years, the Pacers were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, as they earned a three seed or better in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Like Miller, Paul George, an up-and-coming small forward, has become a fan favorite and franchise player. 

The NFL and the NBA are not the only ways that Indianapolis influences the sports world. As a matter of fact, the NCAA headquarters is in Indianapolis so the city has a major effect in the collegiate sports world. Additionally, Indianapolis hosts the Final Four every five years as well as the Big Ten basketball tournament and the Big Ten football championship.

Although Indianapolis does not have a major league baseball or major league soccer team, fans pay attention to the minor league baseball and soccer teams in the city. Fans in the spring and summer head over to Victory Field and watch the Indianapolis Indians. Last spring, Indianapolis launched a new professional soccer team known as the Indy Eleven. An average of 10,375 spectators have watched each Indy Eleven game since the team launched last spring. Even in autoracing, Indianapolis has made a name for itself as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts both the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400 annually. 

While Indianapolis does not have a big media market like those of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, the city has a crucial importance in the sports world whether it’s in the NFL, NBA, NCAA or minor league teams. For these reasons, Indianapolis rightfully deserves more respect as a sports town than people give.