INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA Hall of Champions is hosting a three-month educational exhibit that examines the science of sports through interactive components called “Team Up! Explore Science & Sports.” The exhibit will run through December 26, 2005.

The Team Up exhibit allows visitors to test their skills in a variety of sports, such as basketball, tennis, soccer and football, while learning about geometry, physics, gravitational force and friction. Visitors can pitch a baseball in a radar-equipped booth; experiment with balance on a balance beam; make a bounce pass using one of the displays; shoot a marble-sized basketball through a tiny hoop while learning about trajectory angles; and learn how different floor surfaces affect performance. There also are displays that explain the development of sports equipment and test an individual’s knowledge of various types of equipment.

“Sports can be used to educate and stimulate minds, and the Team Up exhibit gives visitors an in-depth look at scientific principles that are necessary in athletics,” said George Smith, managing director of the NCAA Hall of Champions. “People will be amazed at the level of science involved with sports. This will be an exhibit that will have appeal for youth, as well as educators, sports fans and people with inquiring minds.”

Team Up is the collaboration of The Discovery Center Museum in Rockford, Illinois, and the Family Museum of Arts and Science in Bettendorf, Iowa, with funding from the National Science Foundation.

The NCAA Hall of Champions – a two-level, 30,000-square-foot facility in the White River State Park – celebrates NCAA champions and is designed to create an appreciation for the unique journeys of the collegiate student-athlete. The exhibits engage visitors and create a true-to-life understanding of just what it takes to be a champion. Admission to the Hall of Champions is $3 for adults and senior citizens; $2 for students; and free for children five and under. For more information on the NCAA Hall of Champions, visit www.ncaahallofchampions.orgor call 800/735-NCAA.