Colts to Honor Late Owner Jim Irsay With a Spot in Their Ring of Honor

The induction is set for the Week 1 home opener against Miami on Sept. 7. Indianapolis went to two Super Bowls during Jim Irsay’s tenure, winning one.

Colts owner Jim Irsay looks on during halftime of a game against the Washington Commanders at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Oct. 30, 2022. Justin Casterline/Getty Images

The late Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay will be honored by the team with a Ring of Honor induction at the Week 1 home opener against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 7.

Irsay died on May 21, and the team announced the Ring Honor plans on Friday, his birthday. He was 65 at the time of his death.

“There was no bigger advocate for the Colts, the NFL, the city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana than our dad, Jim Irsay,” Irsay’s daughters Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson said in a June 13 statement. “It’s only fitting that he now joins the other amazing Colts legends in our Ring of Honor who contributed so much to our franchise and our community over the past four decades.”

Irsay-Gordon, Foyt, and Jackson officially became the owners following their father’s death, and Irsay-Gordon will serve as the principal owner and CEO. Jim Irsay’s father, Robert Irsay, previously went into the Colts’ Ring of Honor after his tenure as owner from 1972 to 1996.

Robert Irsay acquired the Baltimore Colts in 1972 and moved the team to Indianapolis in 1984. Jim Irsay took over ownership in 1997 at age 37 after his father died.

During Jim Irsay’s time as owner, the Colts won a Super Bowl in 2007 and lost one in 2010. The Colts also won an AFC East title in 1999 and nine AFC South titles, with 16 playoff appearances overall and a 257–194–1 record in that span.

A big part of that success stemmed from the Colts drafting Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning out of Tennessee in 1998. Manning played for the Colts from 1998 to 2010 and won a Super Bowl and four MVPs with the team.

“Right before your eyes, Indianapolis became the biggest football town,” Manning told ESPN’s NFL Live on May 22. “High school football goes up. Fans wear more jerseys to a Colts game than any other stadium out there. And that was [because of] Jim’s commitment. That was his commitment to the city that he was going to bring them a winner once he took over, and he did.”

Hall of Famers Dwight Freeney, Marvin Harrison, and Edgerrin James were also a major part of that success. Former Colts head coach Tony Dungy, also a Hall of Famer, led the team during the Super Bowl year and seven years overall.

In addition to the on-field success, Irsay had the Colts upgrade stadiums from the former Hoosier and RCA Dome in 2008 to Lucas Oil Stadium, which features a retractable roof. That helped the Colts stay in Indy instead of relocating during the 2000s.

“There were all kinds of rumors about us maybe moving to Los Angeles or whatnot,” Manning said. “Jim always wanted to stay in Indianapolis, but he felt like, ‘Hey, we have this really good team. We’re fun to watch. Let’s get them a new stadium to play in.’ And the next thing you know, Lucas Oil Stadium is built.”

Outside of football, Irsay was an active philanthropist, and he started Kicking the Stigma with his family and the Colts in 2020 to support mental health. Kicking the Stigma has committed $31 million-plus toward mental health initiatives.

Jim Irsay will be the 20th inductee for the Colts Ring of Honor. Other members from his time as owner besides the aforementioned Hall of Famers include Bill Polian, Reggie Wayne, Robert Mathis, Tarik Glenn, and Dallas Clark.

Irsay-Gordon and her sisters now begin a new era with the team four years into a playoff drought and in search of a franchise quarterback. The daughters and new co-owners have clear expectations for Colts general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen.

“Chris and Shane know that they have things they need to fix,” Irsay-Gordon told reporters on Tuesday. “We talked about not micromanaging people, but also we have a standard here and it hasn’t been good enough.

“Winning is great. But I would even take it a step further and saying we’re really committed to being the best and if we’re the best, we will win games. And I think Chris and Shane are totally capable of doing that and we’re confident that they can,” Irsay-Gordon added.

Overall, Irsay-Gordon and her sisters want to “continue the legacy” set by their father in Indianapolis. She said they’re “going to work tirelessly” toward that goal.

“This is our business and we take it very seriously,” Irsay-Gordon said.