Super Bowl, Big Ten Championship Win Awards

October 5, 2012

News Release

Indianapolis, Ind. -- The inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game and Super Bowl XLVI were recognized as the ‘Event of the Year’ in their respective categories at the SportsTravel Awards Luncheon, held Thursday in Detroit.

The inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game was held at Lucas Oil Stadium December 3, 2011, winning the 2012 SportsTravel Award for “Best New Sports Event”. More than 64,000 fans attended the game, which also included the Big Ten Fan Fest presented by Dr Pepper, the Georgia Street Tailgate Party and several youth initiatives. Indianapolis will continue to host the event through at least 2015.

Super Bowl XLVI (February 5, 2012) won the “Best Professional Single-Sport Event” category after receiving rave reviews earlier this year. In addition to the game featuring the New York Giants and New England Patriots, Indianapolis created unmatched initiatives and programming around the event. Over the course of 10 days, more than 1.1 million fans celebrated in Super Bowl Village on Georgia Street, enjoying live musical acts, a zip line and NFL-themed excitement. A record 265,000 fans enjoyed NFL Experience at the Indiana Convention Center. The 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee also launched the Legacy Project, which included the building of the $11 million Chase Near Eastside Community Center and other initiatives that resulted in $154 million in investment.

“The SportsTravel Awards are a tremendous honor for Indianapolis and the state of Indiana,” said Allison Melangton, president of Indiana Sports Corp. “There are thousands of great partners, committee members and volunteers who come together and make these events successful. It is a privilege to work with long-time partners in the NFL and Big Ten Conference to create monumental events. We are excited to continue hosting the Big Ten Football Championship Game through 2015, and pursue another Super Bowl in 2018.”

The SportsTravel Awards celebrate the best in sports-event management and production each year. The awards recognize excellence in amateur, collegiate and professional sporting events.

Indiana Sports Corp is the sports champion, stimulating economic growth, inspiring healthy kids and creating vibrant communities throughout Indiana. Indiana Sports Corp was founded in 1979 as the nation’s first sports commission. Our recent and upcoming schedule of events includes NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Fours, Super Bowl XLVI in 2012, Big Ten Football Championship Games through 2015, Big Ten Basketball Tournaments, and much more. For more information, visit www.IndianaSportsCorp.com.

Source: Indiana Sports Corp.