IU Indy building ‘jewel box’ of an arena it sees as staple of Indianapolis sports

News

Finance

Sports

Mail

Story by

Story by
IU Indy building ‘jewel box’ of an arena it sees as staple of Indianapolis sports

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena — Construction continues on Indiana University Indianapolis’ James T. Morris Arena on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in downtown Indianapolis. The multipurpose venue will host a variety of events, including basketball and volleyball games.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Joshua Heron, Indianapolis Star

Thu, Aug 6, 2026 ·

4 min read

About Our Ads

INDIANAPOLIS — Watch out college sports. IU Indy is building a "jewel box" of an arena to establish itself as a premier mid-major program.

Athletic director Luke Bosso, IU Indy architect Brett Hatchett and RATIO Architects President Bill Browne gave a guided tour of the under-construction James T. Morris Arena on Wednesday.

The new facility will open in the fall and will be the home court for the school's basketball and volleyball teams. Known as "The Jim," the arena pays tribute to Jim Morris, the late longtime civil and local business leader and former vice chair of Pacers Sports and Entertainment .

The 130,000-square-foot venue will seat 4,200 people and serve as the office space for IU Indy athletics and USA Track and Field. The arena features retractable seating, which allows IU Indy to host community events and high school sports.

"Whether it's our friends across the street, the high school athletic association, the NCAA or other events that 4,200 is the right number for, we want people using this building just like they do every other building," Bosso said. "This is the sports capital of the world and this is another part to keep that attitude and that mindset going within the city."

Construction continues on Indiana University Indianapolis’ James T. Morris Arena on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in downtown Indianapolis. The multipurpose venue will host a variety of events, including basketball and volleyball games.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Luke Bosso, Indiana University Indianapolis’ athletic director, speaks with media members as construction continues on Indiana University Indianapolis’ James T. Morris Arena on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in downtown Indianapolis. The multipurpose venue will host a variety of events, including basketball and volleyball games.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

(From left) Bill Browne, president and founding principal of RATIO Architects, Inc., Brett Hatchett, Indiana University Indianapolis’ architect, and Luke Bosso, Indiana University Indianapolis’ athletic director, speak to media as construction continues on IU Indianapolis’ James T. Morris Arena on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in downtown Indianapolis. The multipurpose venue will host a variety of events, including basketball and volleyball games.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Bosso said the arena is a "jewel box" that fits into the campus' "context." Browne added the building doesn't "overpower" the NCAA headquarters or the school's natatorium, both of which are located near the gym. Browne and Hatchett designed the building to have visibility.

Fans will be able to see the skyline to the east of the building. The arena will use TVs on the wall to show scores and stats, rather than a hanging scoreboard. As a result, natural light will shine through the arena, which Bosso believes gives IU Indy an advantage over opponents. The arena is shaped like a box and the back end zones are close behind the basket, allowing for angles that are a "shooter's dream," Bosso said.

"It's hopefully a building you're going to get hot in and hit a lot of jump shots and hit a lot of 3-pointers," Bosso said.

Cost: IU Indianapolis names new $110 million athletic center after late Jim Morris

Alec Millender played basketball at IU Indy during the 2024-2025 season. He averaged 8.2 points per game on 43.5% shooting from 3. Millender transferred to UConn for the 2025-2026 college basketball season and helped lead the Huskies to their third Final Four in four years.

"Indianapolis is a great sports city in general, so bringing a new venue that already adds to the area is amazing. The conference, being a mid-major, is a place where players feel they can level up," Millender told IndyStar. "If you could do that somewhere with nice facilities, that's an intriguing aspect to have during recruitment. Many schools don't offer as much as Indianapolis does. So, having the city behind you with the new facility will be special."

From IU Indy to main stage: Alec Millender wrote about the Final Four for IU Indy, now will take court for UConn basketball

The facility will boast a new weight room, recovery room and athletic training room for all student-athletes. The athletes also have access to a dedicated study lounge.

"It really speaks to who we are and who we want to be," Hatchett said.

The women's volleyball team retained senior Grace Purichia , who was named 2025 Horizon League Setter of the Year. The men's basketball team led the Horizon League in scoring average last season with 83.5 points per game.

"We want to be teams that make Indianapolis proud. We want to be at the top of the Horizon League. That's our goal in every one of our sports," Bosso said. "We want this building to reflect good quality basketball and great volleyball we'll put in the building every night."

The court hasn't been installed, the offices are still being constructed and there is still purple dry yet to be painted. During the media tour, Hatchett had a moment in which he stared at the unfinished "Jim." He's optimistic about the fall deadline.

"We got a lot of work to do," he said. "But we're cooking."

Joshua Heron is an enterprise and Fever reporter. Follow him @HeronReports on X.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IU Indy building 'jewel box' of an arena it sees as staple of Indianapolis sports

Mobilize your Website

View Site in Mobile | Classic

Share by:

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena

Peek inside the progress of IU Indy's construction on new James T. Morris Arena