IU Recreational Sports is excited to host the 2026 Big Ten Collegiate Recreation Conference in Bloomington, Indiana.
Join us May 19 - 21 to learn from and network with colleagues in the areas of fitness, facilities and operations management, program implementation, sports management, aquatics, outreach, relational service, and more.
Graduate by Hilton Bloomington
210 E Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, Indiana 47408
(812) 994-0500
Book by May 1 to receive a discounted rate.
Book Now
Space is limited at The Graduate on Monday, May 18. If you are arriving on Monday we suggest booking at Hyatt Place.
Choose to attend the educational sessions that are most relevant to you! There is a great lineup of topics and presenters.
Pre-Conference
All Day
Attendee arrival to Bloomington
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
IU Rec Sports Tours
The IU team will provide tours for individuals and groups upon arrival at the hotel throughout the day. Don’t worry – you can play golf or do a yoga class AND still get a tour! We’ll work around your needs! Join us as we drive you around campus for a look at our 12 Rec Sports facilities that you may not have a chance to visit during the conference including: the IU Outdoor Pool, IU Tennis Center, Northwest Rec Courts, Sembower Field Complex, University Gym, and historic Bill Garrett Fieldhouse.
11:00 AM
Golf
(IU Pfau Golf Course)
Join us for a pre-conference golf outing at Indiana University’s acclaimed Pfau Course— ranked the #3 Best New Course in America in 2020 and #5 Best College Course in the USA in 2023-2024. Tee-times will begin around 11:00 a.m. and includes lunch. Pre-registration for golf outing is required.
2:30 - 3:30 PM
Slow Flow Yoga
(Student Recreational Sports Center, Outdoor Terrace)
Staff will guide you through feel-good, flowing sequences linking breath and movement to unwind before a busy schedule of collaboration, connection, and celebration. A vinyasa-based practice will introduce a variety of balancing, strengthening, and relaxing postures. All levels are welcome. No pre-registration required.
(TRAVEL NOTE: Catch the mini-bus leaving The Graduate at 2 PM or enjoy a 30-minute walk through the center of IU's campus to the SRSC)
Conference Begins
5:00 - 6:30 PM
Happy Hour Reception and Group Photo
(IU Simon-Skjodt Assembly Hall, Spirit of '76 Club)
Please join us for a happy-hour kick-off to the 2026 Big Ten Recreational Conference at Indiana University’s iconic Simon-Skjodt Assembly Hall. Conference Photo will be taken at 6:15 on the court.
6:30 - 8:15 PM
Welcome Dinner
(IU Simon-Skjodt Assembly Hall, South Lobby)
Life Fitness proudly presents the Welcome Dinner for the 2026 Big Ten 2026 Recreation Conference in the South Lobby of the iconic Simon-Skjodt Assembly Hall. Join us for dinner, remarks from IU’s Student Life leadership, and a keynote on how Recreation for Well-Being applies to culture and team building.
(TRAVEL NOTE: Buses will leave after dinner for your return to The Graduate. The upcoming social is only 2 blocks away from the hotel.)
8:30 - 10:30 PM
Big Ten Recreation Social
(The Tap, 101 North College Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47401)
Keep the networking going just a few short blocks from the hotel. Join us at The Tap for the official Big Ten Recreation Conference Social!
Morning Health and Well-Being Options + Breakfast
6:00 – 7:45 AM
Get a morning workout* in at the Student Recreational Sports Center using your complimentary access card.
7:00 – 8:00 AM
Morning Basketball*
Student Recreational Sports Center
7:00 – 7:45 AM
Group exercise session* at the Northwest Recreation Courts on the National Fitness Campaign’s Fitness Court. (map)
6:30 – 8:45 AM
Breakfast at Graduate Hotel*
Enjoy a complimentary breakfast from the Poindexter Café in the hotel lobby.
*TRAVEL NOTE: Shuttles will leave The Graduate at 5:45, 6:15, 6:45, 7:15, 7:45, 8:00, 8:15, 8:30 and 8:45 AM for the SRSC. Shuttles will leave the SRSC for The Graduate at 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 8:15, and 8:30 AM. Due to summer construction at the SRSC, a limited number of showers (2 all-gender single use shower stalls) are available if you'd like to get ready for the day there instead of returning to the hotel.)
Conference
9:00 – 9:30 AM
Welcome
Student Recreational Sports Center, Center Courts 4/5
9:40 – 10:30 AM
Breakout Session 1
10:30 – 11:00 AM
Snack and Exhibitor Hall
Center Courts 1-3
Please join us for a healthy snack from Shake Smart as we gather for Roundtables and rotate through a few exhibitor booths.
11:00 – 11:50 AM
Round Tables
Student Recreational Sports Center, Center Courts 4/5
11:50 AM– 12:40 PM
Exhibitor Hall
Center Courts 1-3
Our sponsors and vendors are here to support a vast array of recreational needs. Please use this time to intentionally connect and engage with them on their areas of expertise and look for opportunities to support your student’s well-being.
12:45 – 1:30 PM
Lunch
Student Recreational Sports Center, Center Courts 4/5
1:30 – 1:40 PM
Wellness Break
Student Recreational Sports Center, Center Courts 4/5
Stay at your seat and our Fitness and Wellness team will help lead a quick chair and standing wellness reset.
1:45 – 2:30 PM
Well-Being Panel Discussion
Student Recreational Sports Center, Center Courts 4/5
As student needs become more complex, Campus Recreation is challenged to look beyond individual programs and examine the systems that shape how our work is designed, delivered, and sustained. This panel focuses on systems change within Campus Recreation, exploring how internal practices related to staffing, program design, decision-making, assessment, and culture influence student well-being. The conversation centers on what it means to evolve from the inside out, so that well-being becomes a defining feature of our systems and settings, not an additional initiative.
Facilitator: Josh Downing (Associate Director, IU Recreational Sports)
Panelists:
George Brown (Assistant Vice President, Director of Recreation & Wellness, University of Minnesota)
Aaron Hobson (Executive Director Recreation & Wellbeing, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Jennifer Speer (Assistant Vice President for Recreational Sports & Interim Assistant Vice President for University Unions, The University of Texas at Austin)
2:40 – 3:30 PM
Breakout Session 2
3:30 – 4:00 PM
Snack and Exhibitor Hall
Center Courts 1-3
Grab a quick snack and enjoy your last formal exhibit hall opportunity.
4:00 – 5:00 PM
Excecutive Director's Meeting
Conference Room 130
Private business meeting for Executive Directors or their representative if they are not in attendance.
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Wellness Break*
Ready for some you time? Stay at the SRSC for a workout, head back to the hotel for a relaxer, or connect with colleagues and friends. The time is yours!
*TRAVEL NOTE: Shuttles will leave the SRSC for The Graduate at 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, and 4:45 PM. Need to walk off the day as part of your wellness break? Enjoy this 30-minute walk through the center of IU's campus back to The Graduate.
6:00 – 8:00 PM
Best of B-Town Dinner
Food trucks at street level and seating/drinks on the Jack and Diane Rooftop TerraceStep right outside of the Graduate Hotel’s doors to grab dinner from one of Bloomington’s best food trucks – your choice of cuisine – thanks to PreCor’s generous sponsorship. Once you have your food, head up to the Jack and Diane Rooftop Terrace to grab a drink from the bar and settle in for views, dinner and games!
8:00 PM
Best of B-Town Bucket List Game
Use your Bloomington Bucket List to find iconic Bloomington/IU locations - don't forget to take a selfie! The final two icons just happen to be two Kirkwood Avenue legendary pubs which are hosting not one, but TWO, conference socials! Follow game instructions to have a chance to win a prize at Thursday's welcome session.
8:30 - 9:30 PM
Nick's English Hut Social
423 E Kirkwood Avenue
Join us at a Bloomington classic for an informal social with a bar tab supported by DynaDome.
9:45 - 10:45 pm
Upstairs Pub Social
430 E Kirkwood Avenue
Still awake? Join us at our Hoosier student's favorite hang-out for the continued informal social with a bar tab supported by FitBench.
Morning Health and Well-Being Options + Breakfast
6:00 – 7:45 AM
Get a morning workout* in at the Student Recreational Sports Center using your complimentary access card.
6:30 – 8:45 AM
Breakfast at Graduate Hotel*
Enjoy a complimentary breakfast from the Poindexter Café in the hotel lobby.
*TRAVEL NOTE: Shuttles will leave The Graduate at 5:45, 6:15, 6:45, 7:15, 7:45, 8:00, 8:15, 8:30 and 8:45 AM for the SRSC. Shuttles will leave the SRSC for The Graduate at 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 8:15, and 8:30 AM. Due to summer construction at the SRSC, a limited number of showers (2 all-gender single use shower stalls) are available if you'd like to get ready for the day there instead of returning to the hotel.)
Conference
9:00 - 9:15 AM
Welcome
Student Recreational Sports Center, Center Courts 4/5
9:20 - 10:10 AM
Breakout Session 3
10:20 - 11:10 AM
Breakout Session 4
11:15 AM - NOON
Wrap up and Lunch
Student Recreational Sports Center, Center Courts 4/5
Spend a few minutes of gratitude with us as we wrap up and hand the reins for the 2027 conference to Michigan and Michigan State. Grab a lunch you are sure to enjoy thanks to CFE Services from Dagwoods Deli - a Bloomington classic! Everything you need in a box so you can hit the road or stay and mingle!
Check out all the details for the breakout sessions! You will session titles, locations, descriptions, and presenters.
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