How Fall Camp Has Evolved During Tom Allen’s Tenure

Written by Ethan Roberts

With fall camp just around the corner, IU football coach Tom Allen, going into year seven as head coach, dissected the structural differences in fall camp since he became head coach.

“The structure has changed so dramatically since several years ago,” Allen said. “You just think about the way we operated where it kind of went from the two-a-day model. Every other practice was a two-a-day, and then you went to one-a-day. Then you had the two-day schedule, one day schedule. Then it came to where you did all single practices with the walk-throughs and jog-throughs. Now you have a fourth day as a regeneration day, which I think is excellent.”

The most important part of the fall camp structure to coach Allen is how it affects the development of his players.

“I think you learn how to best create a model where you stress your guys and you allow them to develop at the maximum level between the heat and all of the time demands that they have,” Allen said. “Just focus on football, to be able to keep them fresh. You want to be able to have a minimal amount of injuries.”

He credits college football and the NFL for the structural changes to camp and that it helps the team minimize chances of injury.

“I think the new structure helps a lot,” Allen said. “From the studies they came up with in the NFL and college football where practices four, five and six where a lot of those injuries would occur. That’s where the three-practice model came from. You get a regeneration day where you watch film, lift, but don’t practice, don’t go out and do anything physical from that regard on the field.”

Another point of emphasis for fall camp is the preparation for week one.

“You want to be able to come out of camp and play,” Allen said. “Last we had a big opener and had to play really good football right out of the gate. With another Big Ten opponent come up to start the season, we have to have that same outcome.”

He chimed in on the importance of building depth on the football team and how they plan to further alter the practice structure to ensure that the younger players will get more repetitions.

“Obviously we’re trying to continue to build the depth of our football team,” Allen said. “We’re going to do some things different structurally in practice, increasing the length of some areas to focus on fundamentals and technique and fundamentals with out guys, and also be able to maximize reps, find a way to get more guys reps during our team periods and have a change to that as well. Everything we do is just building the depth of our team to be able to get to the point where we execute at a high level.”

The Hoosiers start their first practice today and hope to start strong and carry the momentum into Sept. 2, when they host the Ohio State Buckeyes to kick off their season.

“This is the first time we’ve had the entire group together,” Allen said. “Create momentum each and every week.”