Here is the thing about Alex Palou: the man simply refuses to stop driving, even when the machine in front of him has nothing to do with his usual office. Fresh off capturing a stunning championship season in which he secured his fifth NTT IndyCar SERIES title—tying him with Sébastien Bourdais for four consecutive titles from 2004-07, and putting him behind only A.J. Foyt and Scott Dixon in career championships—the Spaniard is taking on a rather unusual pre-game duty. He has been named the honorary driver of an Indiana University-themed NTT IndyCar SERIES race car for Saturday's college football showdown between Indiana University and Ohio State on FOX.
That role usually belongs to Hoosier the Bison, the school's mascot, who has driven the car while leading the team out of the tunnel before each home game at Memorial Stadium this season. But with Palou stepping in to fill those massive shoes, the five-time champion adds another chapter to a growing fandom that blossomed after he made Indianapolis his home. He has previously visited IU’s Bloomington campus for big games as part of FOX Sports’ promotional activities, famously noting during an appearance on FOX Sports’ “Big Noon Kickoff” last year that the atmosphere is "a little more rowdy than I thought. I love it."
Palou's appearance at Memorial Stadium is just the latest detour in a wild, relentless stretch behind the wheel of various beasts, none of which happen to be his regular No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. On Oct. 3, he tackled the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Petit Le Mans for Meyer Shank Racing. He followed that up by driving the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG in last weekend’s Intercontinental GT Challenge Indianapolis 8 Hour through practice and qualifying, though he never turned a race lap after being taken out in an accident prior to his opening stint. By Monday, he was already at Sebring International Raceway testing the IR-28, the new NTT IndyCar SERIES chassis scheduled to debut in 2028.
The mileage doesn't stop there. On Friday, Palou will sample INDY NXT by Firestone machinery for the very first time during the Chris Griffis Memorial Test on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He is stepping into the seat for Chip Ganassi Racing’s full-time INDY NXT driver Carson Etter, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. This weekend's football festivities also highlight a broader alignment, as FOX Sports—fresh off the 2025 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner's triumph—becomes the exclusive television provider of the NTT IndyCar SERIES ahead of the 2025 season and broadcasts Saturday's massive clash.
