Simone Biles is trading her leotard for a softball glove tonight, joining a star-studded lineup of Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts and Indy Ignite athletes at Victory Field for the first-ever Pacers Foundation Charity Softball Classic. First pitch is set for 7 p.m., with tickets priced at just $10 for the downtown Indianapolis event, which pits a roster led by Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton against one captained by Colts quarterback Daniel Jones.
The rosters, first detailed by WISH-TV, feature athletes from across the state's professional sports scene. Team Haliburton includes Olympic gold medalist Biles alongside her husband, first-year Colts cornerback Jonathan Owens, plus Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, receiver Josh Downs, safety Cam Bynum, quarterback Riley Leonard, tight end Mo Alie-Cox, receiver LaQuon Treadwell and linebacker Bryce Boettcher. Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, guard T.J. McConnell, forward Obi Toppin, guard Johnny Furphy and guard Braden Smith round out that side, joined by comedian and actor Mike Epps, professional wrestler Grayson Waller, and Indy Ignite player Emma Halter.
Team Jones counters with gold medalist soccer player Briana Scurry, Colts guard Quenton Nelson, cornerback Sauce Gardner, receiver Alec Pierce, receiver Ashton Dulin, tight end Drew Ogletree, linebacker CJ Allen, defensive end Caden Curry and former Colts cornerback Darius Butler. Pacers center Jay Huff and forward Aaron Nesmith join the roster too, alongside Indy Ignite players Anna DeBeer and Lydia Martin, plus Pat McAfee Show member Ty Schmit. Pat McAfee himself will emcee the evening, according to WISH-TV.
Two Captains, Two Achilles Comebacks
Haliburton and Jones share more than captaincy duties — both are prominent Indiana athletes returning from the same devastating injury. Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals in June 2025, while Jones tore his right Achilles in December 2025, according to Colts.com. Both stars missed extended stretches before returning to full activity in mid-2026, a parallel recovery timeline that has made their shared appearance on the softball diamond a notable storyline heading into tonight's game.
Owens, meanwhile, is a fairly new face in Indianapolis. The safety signed a one-year free-agent contract with the Colts in March 2026 after two seasons with the Chicago Bears, per Colts.com, which explains why he and Biles are suiting up for a hometown Indy cause rather than a Chicago one.
The Cause Behind the Classic
The event raises funds and awareness for Drive & Dish, powered by Gleaners2Go, a food insecurity initiative Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle launched in January 2024 in partnership with Pacers Sports & Entertainment, according to the Pacers Foundation. Carlisle originally pitched the public-private partnership to connect local families with fresh produce and groceries, and the inaugural softball classic is presented by Gainbridge, the financial services company that also holds naming rights to the Pacers' home arena, Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The need behind the initiative is stark. Food insecurity in Indiana surpassed 1 million residents for the first time in at least five years in 2023, reaching 1,033,890 people, with Marion County reporting a child food insecurity rate of 23.9%, according to Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap report cited by Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. Gleaners, the primary distribution engine behind Drive & Dish, distributed more than 97 million meals across its 21-county central and southern Indiana service area in 2024.
On-Court Giving and Statewide Growth
The Pacers have folded hunger relief directly into their on-court performance in the past. During the 2025-26 NBA season, Drive & Dish partnered with Kroger, MPS Egg Farms and HATCH for Hunger to donate 100,000 eggs to Gleaners by committing three cases for every 3-pointer the Pacers made during home games, a milestone celebrated on the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in April 2026, per InkFreeNews. In September 2024, Pacers Sports & Entertainment also announced a 10-year plan to expand Drive & Dish statewide beyond Marion County, starting with an expansion in Terre Haute funded by personal contributions from Carlisle and team owners Herb and Steve Simon.
Tonight's game also spotlights Indy Ignite, Indiana's first professional women's indoor volleyball team, which debuted in 2025 as part of the league now known as Major League Volleyball and reached the championship match in its inaugural season, according to the Indianapolis Business Journal. Halter, DeBeer and Martin play home matches at Fishers Event Center, giving fans of the fledgling franchise another reason to fill the seats at Victory Field.
A Downtown Ballpark Built for the Occasion
Victory Field itself brings its own local history to the night. Located in downtown Indianapolis's White River State Park, the ballpark opened on July 11, 1996, and holds 14,230 spectators across its fixed seating and outfield lawn areas, according to Visit Indy. It has long served as the home of the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, and tonight it doubles as the backdrop for a lineup of Olympic champions, NFL and NBA stars, and Indiana's newest professional volleyball talent — all playing for $10 tickets in support of families across the state facing food insecurity.
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