INDIANAPOLIS — New eras are beginning for the Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers and Fever.
All three franchises made future-shaping moves in 2023. The Indianapolis Colts replaced former head coach Frank Reich and interim coach Jeff Saturday with Shane Steichen.
Steichen, a former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator with more than 12 years of professional coaching experience, has led the Colts to an 8-7 record this season. Indianapolis is in contention to win the AFC South and make the playoffs with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
Indianapolis went 4-12-1 in 2022. The Colts' record gave them the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Anthony Richardson was the Colts' top selection in the draft. The University of Florida standout started four games in 2023 before he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Richardson went 50-of-84 for 577 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
Indiana Fever land top draft picks
The Indiana Fever also earned high draft picks in 2023. The Fever selected South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft.
Boston averaged 14.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in 2024. Her performance on the hardwood helped her earn a spot in the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game.
Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell also made the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game. Mitchell averaged 18.2 points and 3.1 assists per game last season.
Despite Boston and Mitchell's efforts, the Fever went 13-27 in 2023.
The Fever also have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Indiana is expected to take women's college basketball's reigning national player of the year, Caitlin Clark, with the pick. Clark has not yet decided whether or not she wants to return to the University of Iowa or go pro next season.
Pacers on the rise
In their third full season under head coach Rick Carlisle, the Indiana Pacers' fortunes seem to be changing. As of this article's publication, the Pacers boast a winning percentage above .500.
Indiana hasn't posted a winning record since the 2019-20 season when they went 45-28.
Indiana also made the NBA's first In-Season Tournament Championship Game in Las Vegas in December. The Pacers lost the game to the Los Angeles Lakers, 123-109.
The Pacers' resurgence has been spearheaded by point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was traded to Indiana by the Sacramento Kings in 2022. Haliburton is currently averaging more than 24 points and 12 assists per game.
Haliburton is in contention to make the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, which will be held in Indianapolis in February.
Newgarden wins Indy 500
Josef Newgarden won the 2023 Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May. The Tennessean won the event on his 12th try, besting defending champion Marcus Ericsson in a one-lap shootout.
McDowell wins Brickyard 400
Michael McDowell won the 2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August. McDowell was 15th in the season-long NASCAR Cup Series Standings at the end of the year.
The NASCAR Cup Series Race at IMS is moving from the road course to the oval course in 2024. The event has also been moved from August to July.
Indy Fuel, Indy Eleven getting new homes
The Indy Fuel are moving from Indiana Farmers Coliseum after nearly 10 years in the venue. The Fuel are moving to Fishers Event Center ahead of the 2024-25 season.
The Indy Eleven are also getting a new stadium. The project is part of a $1 billion development in downtown Indy. The Eleven are hoping to start playing games in the new venue in the summer of 2025.
Central Indiana gets Indoor Football League team
The Indoor Football League is expanding to central Indiana. The team, officially nicknamed the Fishers Freight, will start playing games at the Fishers Event Center in 2025.
The freight will be the IFL's 17th team. Indiana was once home to an Arena Football League team, the Indiana Firebirds. The Firebirds played in the Circle City from 2001-04.
IU hires new football coach
Indiana University fired Tom Allen at the end of the 2023 season. Allen took control of the program after Kevin Wilson resigned in 2016.
Allen coached the Hoosiers to a 33-49 record during his time in Bloomington. His teams made the 2019 Gator Bowl and 2020 Outback Bowl.
IU brought in former James Madison University coach Curt Cignetti to replace Allen. The Dukes were 52-9 under Cignetti's direction.
Allen was named defensive coordinator at Penn State University shortly after he was fired by IU.
Zach Edey returns to Purdue
After winning the Naismith Trophy — which is awarded to the best player in men's college basketball — after the 2022-23 season, center Zach Edey decided not to turn pro and pursue an NBA career.
Instead, Edey returned to Purdue for another season in the Black and Gold. Edey put up 22.3 points and 12.9 rebounds in 2022-23. His efforts, however, did not pay off as the No. 1 seed Boilermakers lost to No. 16 seed Farleigh Dickinson in the first round of last year's NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
Edey has averaged 24 points and 10.4 rebounds in 2023-24. The Boilermakers' overall record is 11-1, as of this article's publication.