Shelby County is pouring $10 million into two new indoor athletic facilities on the Shelby Academic Campus, with officials betting the buildings will do double duty as practice space for students and a draw for out-of-town competitors. One facility will house practice space and locker rooms for softball and baseball, while the other will feature half of a football field, and both are expected to open next fall.
The investment splits unevenly between the two structures, according to WLKY, which first reported the project. The baseball and softball facility carries a $6 million price tag, while the second facility, built around the half football field, will cost $4 million. The overall project is expected to be finished by fall 2027.
A Multi-Sport Hub Built for Year-Round Use
Shelby County Superintendent Josh Matthews said the facilities are not just for baseball, softball and football. He said the space could also serve the band, advanced PE classes, soccer and lacrosse, among other programs, and he expects near-constant activity once the doors open. “We foresee this thing being used seven days a week,” Matthews said, per the station's report.
Beyond school use, the facilities are expected to host softball and baseball competitions, youth AAU and travel team games, and 7-on-7 football tournaments. Matthews framed the project as more than a practice upgrade for Shelby County athletes, saying it strengthens the county's position as a place outside teams and visitors want to come to. “This really enhances and bolsters our standing in the state really, in places that people can come and destinations they can be,” he said.
Mayor Ties Project to Years of Steady Growth
Shelbyville Mayor Troy Ethington voiced support for the project and connected it to what he described as the city's steady growth over the past decade. He said the facilities could pull more visitors into the community, not just for games but to experience the area more broadly. “We're going to see more and more individuals from all communities coming to support athletics and their schools,” Ethington said, adding that visitors to Shelbyville and Shelby County are good for the community overall.
That framing lines up with recent numbers out of the county. Shelby County's tourism economic impact reached $103 million in 2025, a 4.1% increase over 2024 and a 40% jump since 2021, according to the Lane Report. That marked the fifth consecutive year that visitor spending in the county set a new record, with tourism supporting 563 full-time jobs and $19.7 million in wages. Out-of-state visitors accounted for 67.5% of that spending, even though they made up a smaller share, 74.4%, of total trips.
Tax Revenue From Visitors Hits a Record High
The tourism boom has also been translating into local tax dollars. Shelby County generated $1,731,256.78 in tourism-related tax revenue during the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2026, the Lane Report reported in a separate piece. The largest share, $455,508.25, came from the county's transient room tax. ShelbyKY Tourism said the county logged record-breaking overnight stays in 2025, which drove the highest transient room tax collections in its history.
Shelby County's approach has a parallel elsewhere in the state. Allen County-Scottsville High School has begun the first phase of an approximately $20 million overhaul of its own athletic facilities, according to Sports Illustrated. That first phase includes a new auxiliary gym with two full-length basketball and volleyball courts, along with drop-down archery nets, storage and restrooms, and the broader plan eventually calls for a synthetic-turf football field, a renovated stadium, an eight-lane track, a new soccer field, relocated baseball and softball facilities, and a new fieldhouse. Construction there is expected to take roughly 18 to 24 months, and the district said the biggest need identified through community feedback was additional indoor practice space, with hopes the project could bring regional athletic and extracurricular events to Scottsville.
For Shelby County, the bet looks similar: build indoor space students need anyway, then use it to pull tournaments, travel teams and visiting families into town. With the facilities slated to open next fall and the full project wrapped by fall 2027, local officials are counting on the investment to pay off both on the scoreboard and at the register.
