2027 will bring a change for some Indianapolis Colts fans. For those who are accustomed to attending training camp practices at Grand Park. The area has been relatively easy to access while watching the team prepare for a new season. This coming year, however, will be the last. Instead, the team will be moving its training camp to the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.
In other words, the team is relocating its practices to its headquarters at 7001 W. 56th St. in Indianapolis, which implies that many fewer fans will have the opportunity to create memories by taking friends and family to see Colts players at a significantly lower cost than tickets to an actual game.
While Grand Park was more open, the training facility at team headquarters is anything but. There could be several reasons for the move, but what seems certain is that training camp will be significantly less fan-friendly.
The Indianapolis Colts are moving their training camp location in 2027
Colts fans on social media have mostly commented in the negative to the move. Many have pointed out that they have made cherished memories by taking their young children over the years to watch practice. While that might still be possible (the team says it will be), it is difficult to imagine as many non-VIP fans will get access to the team.
Others have said that the daughters of late owner Jim Irsay are simply trying to cut costs, and that is the reason for moving training camp. That seems slightly odd, though. NFL teams are certainly not hurting for money. They are money-making machines.
Some have suggested that the team has enough money, but that it is cheaper to move training camp to team headquarters, and that is just one step toward Carlie Irsay-Gordon and her sisters to sell the team. The current ownership group has made no mention of selling the Colts, and their doing so soon seems unlikely.
To be fair to the owners, many NFL teams already hold training camp at their headquarters. While some of these teams have facilities that allow for easy fan access, the Indianapolis Colts aren't exactly breaking new ground by making the 2027 move.
It is a break with tradition, though, and that is what many fans logically have an issue with. For four decades, the team has held training camp at places other than Indianapolis, at least at team headquarters. 2027 will be a huge change for everyone concerned about the Indianapolis Colts.