When football was getting started in the early 1900s, the flying wedge bundled several players together in front of the ball carrier. They literally ran over everything (such as defenders) in their path. And the price was high, as players were dying in the process.
President Theodore Roosevelt called on the sport to reform itself, and the colleges soon got together to form the NCAA to change the rules and become a governing body for intercollegiate sports. That's what we have today.
The group's headquarters moved from outside Kansas City to downtown Indianapolis some years ago, and it brought the "Hall of Champions" with it. There are two floors. After a short film, visitors get a look at panels that give a brief look at all of the sports under the NCAA umbrella. A Hall of Honor is attached; it salutes the various award-winners of the NCAA who have made major contributions to college sports or who have prospered after graduation over the years. Upstairs is a section for "play." It contains a small gym where you can practice your basketball skills (note: the balls were pretty flat during our visit), and has other interactive devices set up.
Here's what it looks like in less than a minute:
It's unusual that attractions leave a flat feeling to a visitor, but I came away feeling that this could have been done a lot better. There's not a great deal of space here, and some of the exhibits didn't work well. The retail area had a few items, including some leftover shirts from previous NCAA events. Add it up, and it probably wasn't worth the time or money to visit.
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