Indiana University Bloomington Recreational Sports unveiled a new outdoor recreation court on Wednesday, August 27th, bringing new life to the Northwest Neighborhood, with a full suite of amenities designed to serve nearly 49,000 students and staff.

The investment, a partnership between IU Recreational Sports in partnership with Campus Auxiliaries, transformed multiple outdated sports courts into a modern wellness hub near Briscoe Quad Dorms to support student life. The space now includes six dedicated pickleball courts along with a soccer/futsal field, a basketball court, and IU’s first Fitness Court®. Together, these additions create a destination for movement, community, and recreation right where more than 5,000 students live.

The project gained attention even before its completion when Indiana University Student Television’s Sydney Moore covered the new amenities. In the segment, Chris Arvin, Executive Director of Recreational Sports, explained: “Our fitness spaces are at capacity a lot of times, so we wanted to try and gain some fitness space wherever we could, so we partnered with the National Fitness Campaign. This will be open for use from dusk to dawn and we’ll have lights out there. It’s designed so that students can use it whenever they feel like it.”

At the heart of the new hub, the Fitness Court introduces a unique way to exercise outdoors. Katie Landrum, Assistant Director of Group Fitness Programming and Wellness Initiatives, emphasized the collaborative nature of the project: “We wanted to bring health and wellness opportunities back into this corner of campus, and the Fitness Court provides an open, welcoming space that makes it easy for students to get moving.”

IU’s fitness and wellness team demonstrated the Fitness Court at the soft launch, helping students try out the seven stations and showing how it complements the surrounding courts and fields. Jillian Meyer, Group Exercise Instructor, noted the energy already taking shape: “We’re out on the pickleball courts, talking with students and encouraging them to try something new. Group exercise can be more abstract or even a little funny, but that’s what makes it fun—we’re breaking down barriers and making it easy for people to participate.”

Jillian also guided students through a video tour of the Fitness Court, demonstrating how it delivers a full-body workout in just seven minutes.

Programming is already underway, with Thursday morning Fitness Court sessions scheduled through October and November and more planned for the spring to encourage student participation.

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Students are also engaging with the Fitness Court App, which provides free workouts tailored to the new space.

Josh Downing, Associate Director of Programming for Recreational Sports, highlighted the potential of the revitalized hub: “I’m very excited about the multiple opportunities this space brings. With the Fitness Court right at the front of the neighborhood, people can walk past it, stop, and get active. It’s a way to make fitness part of everyday life. The park is open to everyone in the IU community, but we hope it provides students the opportunity to focus on health and well-being while appreciating the outdoors.”

With the completion of this larger project, IU Bloomington has created a model for how universities can reimagine underused outdoor residental recreation areas into thriving wellness hubs. By combining the country’s most popular recreational sports, like pickleball and soccer, with the innovation of the Fitness Court, the campus has set a new standard for integrated, accessible student wellness.