Indianapolis Colts schedule private memorial service for Jim Irsay, plan public tribute

It was a heck of a ride for Irsay with the Colts. He began his affiliation with the franchise in 1972, when his father, Robert Irsay, purchased the team. At that time, the Colts were in Baltimore, and the younger Irsay worked in every department.

In 1984, Jim Irsay became the Colts’ general manager when the team moved to Indianapolis. He assumed day-to-day operations in 1995 when his father suffered a stroke. In 1997, Irsay became the owner at 37 after his father died. 

In his 28 seasons as owner, Irsay saw the Colts win 10 division titles, play in two Super Bowls and win the Super Bowl title during the 2006 season. In Janurary, Irsay wrote a leter to Colts fans about the team’s challenging 2024 season.

“There’s a high standard in this city for our team and anyone who steps on the field wearing the Horseshoe,” Irsay wrote. “The expectation is to win our division and compete for championships. Just being on the doorstep of the playoffs is not the standard I expect, nor what you deserve. We understand that and always accept the challenge.

“Believe me, I know you share my impatience and frustration. I know you invest your time, energy, and money into the Colts every year. More than anything, we want to reward you with division titles and playoff runs, and we’ve fallen short in the most painful ways possible. But things evolve quickly in the NFL from week to week and season to season, so I will never stop being optimistic that this team can take the next step!”

Alas, Irsay was born on June 13, 1959 in Lincolnwood, Illinois. He attended high schol at Loyola Academy and went to college at SMU where he walked on the football team as a linebacker in 1978.

This will certainly be an emotional couple of months, leading into a pivotal season for the Indianapolis Colts. They’ll try to honor Jim Irsay with their play on the field, and with the way they carry themselves off of it in 2025 and beyond.

— On3’s Brian Jones contributed to this article.