NFL prospects run drills during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Lucas Oil Stadium last week.
Photo by Erin Bruce, TheStatehouseFile.com.
With NFL teams’ practices starting to begin and the NFL preseason just being over a month away, football season is approaching fast, and the Indianapolis Colts are undergoing some major changes.
After Indianapolis legend and Colts owner Jim Irsay passed away on May 21 at age 65, his daughters Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Kalen Jackson and Casey Foyt have taken ownership of the team, making them the third generation to oversee the franchise.
The Colts announced the ownership transition on June 9, about three weeks after Irsay’s passing. All three daughters have been Colts vice chairs/owners since 2012 and have been involved heavily in the organization. The eldest daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, will become owner and CEO of the Colts, taking over most football responsibilities. Casey Foyt will become owner and executive vice president, and Kalen Jackson will become owner, chief brand officer and president of the Indianapolis Colts Foundation.
Logo by Sydney Byerly, TheStatehouseFile.com.
On June 10, the new Colts owners held their first press conference, where they said they understood the big shoes they have to fill but are committed and excited for their new opportunities.
“We want our fans to know that we’ve spent decades in our family business learning every aspect of our organization under our dad’s leadership,” Irsay-Gordon said. “It was sometimes trial by fire, and I’m forever grateful for the valuable experience that I’ve gained. It has prepared me and my sisters for moments like today.”
Despite their long tenure in the Colts organization, it remains to be seen if the transition will be seamless. Irsay-Gordon spoke on what she and her sisters learned from their father on what they can do best.
“I think you have to give and pay it forward,” Irsay-Gordon said. “With my dad, I think we all learned from that, and I think also hiring good people in our organization, letting them do their jobs and letting them own their role. We might be owners, but you own your role, and we will get out of the way and be there for the support.”
Jackson spoke about the team’s impact on fans and how they will look to continue to serve the fans.
“That’s why I love this job, is that anything we’re doing, it feels like we’re serving others, even the entertainment on the field. I know that it affects fans Monday morning. I know that their week could be ruined because we lost,” Jackson said. “Again, that feeling of big responsibility. It’s also a beautiful thing that you get to be a part of.”
This transition is more than just keeping the Colts tradition going—it’s also keeping the team in the Irsay family. Foyt shared her thoughts on what it means to be the third-generation owners of the Colts franchise.
“Growing up, my dad ingrained in us just how important the team was, how to cherish it and basically do everything you can to try to keep it. And he did a great job trying to work hard, setting us up so that when he did pass one day—sooner than we thought—that we would be able to do that. We’re so thankful for him because, as you know, a lot of families, things get ripped apart,” Foyt said.
“This is what was so important to our family. Keeping the team, I think, was so important to three of us together.”