The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana and are the reigning National Football League (NFL) champions since winning Super Bowl XLI on February 4, 2007.

By early 1984, after the Colts' lease on the dilapidated 47,855 seat Memorial Stadium had expired, Colts Owner Robert Irsay wanted the city of Baltimore to upgrade the stadium or build a new one. But with attendance dwindling and the team playing poorly, city officials were wary of such an investment and negotiations were slow and contentious. Relations between Owner Robert Irsay and the city of Baltimore worsened, and despite numerous public announcements that Irsay's ultimate desire was to remain in Baltimore, he nevertheless began discussions with several cities hungry for an NFL franchise. Among the cities who very much wanted a team was Indianapolis. Under the administrations of mayors Richard Lugar and William Hudnut, the city was making an ambitious effort to reinvent itself into a `Great American City.' The Hoosier Dome (later renamed the RCA Dome) had been built specifically for and was ready to host an NFL expansion team.

Meanwhile in Baltimore the situation grew worse. Eventually, the Maryland legislature stepped in and threatened to pass a law giving the city of Baltimore the right to seize ownership of the team by eminent domain, as a result, Irsay began serious negotiations with Indianapolis Mayor William Hudnut in order to move the team before the Maryland legislature could pass the bill. The city of Indianapolis was more than willing to receive the team and provided the Colts owner with a $12,500,000.00 loan, a $4,000,000.00 training complex, and the use of the brand new 57,980 seat Hoosier Dome completed in late-1983 at a cost of $82 million as part of the Indiana Convention Center. After agreeing to the deal, Mayflower Transit trucks were dispatched to the team's Maryland training complex at 2:00 AM on March 29, where workers loaded all of the team's belongings and the trucks left for Indianapolis by 3:00 AM.

The move triggered a flurry of legal activity that ended when representatives of Baltimore and the Colts organization reached a settlement on March 1986 in which all lawsuits regarding the relocation were dismissed, and the Colts would endorse a new NFL team for Baltimore.

The Colts' final game in Baltimore was played on December 18, 1983 against the Houston Oilers. The Oilers would, thirteen years later from this day, play their final game before moving to Tennessee against the Baltimore Ravens at Memorial Stadium. The Indianapolis Colts would not return to Baltimore until 1998. Ironically, the new Baltimore team had a chance to stop the Indianapolis Colts on their way to the franchise's first Superbowl appearance since moving. However, the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Baltimore Ravens 15-6 in the division playoff round on their way to winning Superbowl XLI.

-Content generated using various resources and is in no way endorsed by Touchdown Experiences.