With the death of owner Jim Irsay, there has been little question of who would take over; long before Irsay passed, it was assumed that his daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, would try to fill her father's shoes as CEO. Now, the specific details of the ownership transition have been announced.
The Irsay family has owned the Colts for decades, across multiple markets. Originally located in Baltimore, Robert Irsay took over ownership of the team in 1972. His son, Jim Irsay, began working as the general manager for the team in 1984, and mtook over day-to-day operations of the team when his father had a stroke in 1996. When Robert Irsay died in 1997, Irsay persevered through a two-year legal battle to gain ownership of the team, and once successful, became the youngest owner in the NFL at the age of 37.
Though Irsay's death was unexpected, he always intended for ownership of the team to pass to his three daughters. Carlie Irsay-Gordon assumed control of the team while her father was in rehab in 2014, and has spent her career working for the Colts. Irsay-Gordon and her two sisters, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson, have served as Colts Vice Chair/Owner since 2012.
In a press release, each woman's specific role was outlined.
- Irsay-Gordon: Owner & CEO (Principal Owner).
- Foyt: Owner & Executive Vice President.
- Jackson: Owner & Chief Brand Officer and President of the Indianapolis Colts Foundation.
This will ensure the Colts remain under family ownership, one of a small number of teams in the league to do so. The franchise is currently valued at $4.8 billion.
Fans will recognize Irsay-Gordon, who has been a regular presence within the team, including walking the sideline with a headset on gameday. And she got high praise from head coach Shane Steichen.
“Being around Carlie and Kalen so much, the passion they have for this town, this city and the generosity, doing everything they can to help those players and this team be successful, is awesome,” he said. “When you talk football with her, she gets it. She goes over the defensive stuff, the offensive stuff, she’s been involved since I’ve been here. From day one, very hands-on, and she’s been tremendous. I think she’s going to do a phenomenal job.”