The Indianapolis Colts' season once again ended far too early. Yet, like every year since 1987, football fans have something to look forward to beyond the NFL season. To be fair, Indy football fans got two things after the season ended.
One was that the University of Indiana won the National Championship. The team went to the college football playoffs for the second straight year, but in 2025, the Hoosiers went undefeated and beat the University of Miami 27-21 in the championship. It was a beautiful thing.
The second thing has to do with good news from the NFL. The league has decided to keep the annual NFL combine in Indianapolis through at least 2028. At some point, that might change as the league likes to move important events around in order to try to build more fan interest.
Colts fans can rejoice as Indianapolis will continue to host the NFL combine
For instance, the NFL draft is now hosted in a different city every year. One would think the combine might end up doing the same thing, but not yet. Colts fans (and fans of other teams) can keep flocking to the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium in late February to watch college prospects work out.
In 2026, the dates for the combine will be February 23 through March 2. Once the workouts start, different position groups will work out daily. Teams can also talk to prospects during the combine.
To be fair, having the NFL combine in Indianapolis is a wise move. The facility where the combine is held is easily accessible, and there is enough space for on-field workouts and meeting rooms. The NFL likely could not find a better venue for such an important event.
Indianapolis has not yet held the NFL draft, and is currently not on a list of future sites to do so. No matter, holding the combine every year makes the home of the Indianapolis Colts unique. The best part is that Indy fans can go to the event and make guesses at which players should end up with their favorite team. General manager Chris Ballard needs to make wise decisions this year.