Jim Irsay’s impact can be felt all around Indy as city celebrates big sports weekend

Jim Irsay

When Mark Miles strolls around downtown Indianapolis, he sees Jim Irsay’s influence everywhere.

From the trademark sports facilities to the towering J.W. Marriott hotel to the 37-story Signia by Hilton hotel currently under construction, he’s not sure any of it could have happened without the assistance of the longtime Colts owner who helped this small Midwestern town shed its image as Indiana No Place and emerge as Indiana Some Place.

So as Indy steps into a new role, the mega center of a jam-packed Memorial Day sports weekend, the longtime local sports executive is saddened Irsay won’t be here to enjoy the results of his efforts. Irsay died Wednesday in his sleep at age 65.

“It’s incredibly sad, it’s a big ache in my heart,” Miles said Thursday. ” He had such a huge heart. He cared so, so much about the people in this community. I don’t care what day it was, it was going to be a horrible loss but this weekend is sort of emblematic of what he helped build and I’m sorry he missed it.”

His daughter, Casey Irsay Foyt, will be at the Indianapolis 500, though. Track officials announced she will be Sunday’s honorary starter, representing the next generation of Colts ownership along with her sisters — Carlie Irsay-Gordon and Kalen Jackson.

Miles, the CEO and president of IndyCar and Penske Entertainment, has had a front-row seat to Indy’s evolution — and Irsay’s influence — for decades.

The Indy native has seen the city thrive under the glare of two NBA All-Star Games, the CFP national championship game, and dozens of other national and international championships.

But this is the kind of weekend only Irsay may have envisioned when he first came to town in March 1984.

Caitlin Clark, the WNBA’s top draw, and the Indiana Fever will host defending league champ New York in front of a sold out crowd Saturday afternoon. On Sunday morning, an estimated 350,000 fans — including a sold-out grandstand for the first time since 2016 — will fill Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the world’s largest single-day sporting event, the Indianapolis 500. Then on Sunday night, the NBA’s Indiana Pacers will face the New York Knicks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

And it wasn’t just Miles who saw it.

“He was more than the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, he was a transformative figure in our city and state, a passionate advocate for the community, and someone whose generosity, vision and spirit touched countless lives,” Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon said in a statement. “Jim helped shape our city into the sports capital it is today, and his legacy, both on and off the field, will continue to inspire us and generations to come.”

Miles saw the passion almost from the moment he and his wife welcomed the Irsay family to Indianapolis following the Colts’ infamous midnight move from Baltimore.

From that moment, Miles sensed a commitment from Irsay to his new hometown — acknowledging Irsay never even threatened to move the Colts as they pressed for a new stadium during the early 2000s.

As president of the 1987 Pan American Games organizing committee, Miles had Irsay on his side for an event that helped Indianapolis expand its international reach beyond racing. And after spending more than a decade as CEO of the Association of Tennis Professionals, he returned to lead the city’s Super Bowl 46 organizing committee.

“We would never have had a Super Bowl without Jim Irsay, without the Colts or Jim Irsay’s passion or commitment to getting it here and that never really wavered,” Miles said.

But perhaps the greatest tribute to Irsay will be found on the city’s streets this weekend.

Prior to the Colts’ arrival, the downtown was a virtual blank slate — devoid of hotels or restaurants and only one sporting venue, Market Square Arena.

Today, celebrities and sports fans will fill thousands of hotel rooms, visit dozens of restaurants and bars and make the short downtown strolls to see Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Lucas Oil Stadium, Victory Field, home of the city’s minor league team, and maybe even the Irsay Family YMCA.

Yes, Indy has come a long way — and the locals know why.

“To have his death heading into this epic sports weekend has us pausing to reflect on just how categorically he changed and enhanced the city’s skyline for the better based on his generosity, his actions and his advocacy,” said Chris Gahl, Visit Indy executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “So, it’s fitting and also very hard to celebrate a weekend like this, knowing he recently passed and his last tweet was about cheering on another major sporting team in the Indy way. That’s the culture he helped put in place in our city.”