Fan fest brings Boilermaker excitement to the Circle City just days before the launch of Purdue University in Indianapolis
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Old gold and black will be among the red, white and blue this June as Indianapolis hosts the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming for the first time since 2000. Purdue University is partnering with Indiana Sports Corp and USA Swimming to present USA Swimming LIVE, a nine-day outdoor fan fest and tailgate hub during the trials from June 15-23.
Held just days before the July 1 launch of Purdue University in Indianapolis — a new, urban extension of the flagship West Lafayette campus — the partnership affirms Purdue’s commitment to the city and state, while providing attendees the chance to learn more about Indiana’s only land-grant institution and top 10-ranked public university. The free, daily event will include live musical performances, food, drinks and more from 1-7 p.m. along Georgia Street in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. More than 250,000 fans are expected to attend the Trials to watch more than 1,000 athletes compete for 52 spots to represent Team USA in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
“What a historic summer for the great state of Indiana!” said Purdue President Mung Chiang. “Our capital city will welcome a national audience to see the Team USA competition days before Purdue expands our iconic academic and research excellence in Indianapolis. Indy will be gold this summer in more ways than one.”
Four Boilermaker student-athletes — Brady Samuels (100-meter butterfly, 100-meter freestyle), Coleman Modglin (200-meter breaststroke), Masy Folcik (100-meter breaststroke) and Kate Mouser (400-meter individual medley) — have qualified for the Trials and will compete for a chance to go for gold in Paris. Jan-Anders Mansson, executive director of Purdue’s Ray Ewry Sports Engineering Center, which is named in honor of the record-setting track-and-field Olympian and College of Engineering graduate, will again serve a vital role during the Summer Games. Mansson is chairman of the Approval Committee for the World Aquatics, which is responsible for inspecting swim materials used during the Olympics.
Dozens more Purdue alumni, from the engineers building the 860,000-gallon pools inside Lucas Oil Stadium, to the volunteers teaching 50,000 individuals how to be water-safe, are playing central roles in extending Purdue’s impact far beyond the confines of our campuses.
“The support provided by Purdue University for USA Swimming LIVE is vital in accomplishing our goal of hosting this unique, nine-day event that will leave a lasting impact on our community,” said Indiana Sports Corp President Patrick Talty. “USA Swimming LIVE will provide fans with a free, one-of-a-kind experience for all nine days of Trials with live music, food, drinks and entertainment in downtown Indianapolis. I cannot thank Purdue enough for being such great community partners.”
As part of the launch of its new Indianapolis campus, Purdue is bringing its sports engineering concentration to the Circle City, joining Purdue’s core offerings in engineering, computer science and technology. Those programs will make up the initial foundation of Purdue University in Indianapolis, which will accelerate Boilermaker excellence in research, deliver hands-on learning opportunities to career-ready students and graduates, and inspire valuable corporate partnerships that strengthen talent pipelines to the state of Indiana.
“We are thrilled about this partnership and our collective desire to serve the vibrant Indianapolis community. As Purdue commemorates its legacy and prepares to launch its new campus in Indianapolis this fall, we’re excited to help bring this exhilarating event to life, showcasing the best of sport, culture and innovation that Purdue represents,” said Bailey Leffler, Purdue University’s director of brand. “This partnership provides us with a unique platform to spotlight the incredible stories of Boilermakers making a difference in various facets of the event. We look forward to showing the boundless impact of Boilermakers on Indianapolis and beyond!”
“The Olympic Team Trials – Swimming is the fastest, most intense meet on the planet,” said Shana Ferguson, chief commercial officer for USA Swimming. “And the entertainment outside of the stadium with USA Swimming LIVE presented by Purdue will only add to the incredible excitement the Trials will bring to Indianapolis. We are thrilled to have Purdue on board to help us bring this to life!”
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the new Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, and Purdue Computes — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.
About Indiana Sports Corp
Founded in 1979 as the nation’s first sports commission, Indiana Sports Corp is a not-for-profit organization focused on bringing premier sporting events to Indiana to drive economic vitality, facilitate a vibrant community with civic pride and garner positive media attention. Because of this, Indiana Sports Corp is able to provide positive, sports-related opportunities for youth in the community. For more information, please visitIndianaSportsCorp.org.
About USA Swimming
As the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 400,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education. Our membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competitions including the Olympic Games and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives. For more information, visit www.usaswimming.org.
Writer/Media contact: Trevor Peters, peter237@purdue.edu
