What's Cool, Interesting and Played Out WIth IU's New Game Day Experiences

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Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

On Tuesday afternoon in Bloomington Indiana athletic director Fred Glass met with the media to update IU fans on the new additions the Hoosier football fans will see this fall. Once again there are some things fans are going to love, some that are just not exciting and some that will leave you scratching your head. So, here is my list of what is cool, interesting and played out. 

Cool

  • Free Student Spirit Poster T-Shirts: The first 1,000 students to arrive in the IU student section will receive a free t-shirt mirroring that week's spirit poster, a revered and expanded IU tradition. 

I love this idea. I am a big advocate for getting the students more involved with the football program. With ~10,000 freshman every year, IU has a chance to start traditions and build a fan base. Poster t-shirts create a cool collectors item.

  • Victory Flag: After every IU victory, the enormous IU Victory Flag will be raised by members of the Student Athletic Board on college football's tallest flag pole on the southeast corner of the field. 

Love it. One change I would make is that it is raised while fans are still in the stadium. Sure, it's copying the Cubs tradition, but if you're going to do it at least involve the fans.

  • Bill Mallory Helmet Sticker: IU will continue to honor former head football coach Bill Mallory, who passed away on May 25, with a helmet sticker commemorating his tremendous impact on IU Football, the men who played for him, and the Bloomington community. A two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, Mallory is the program's all-time winningest coach and led the Hoosiers to six bowl berths.

Unfortunately Bill Mallory is no longer with us, but honoring his memory and his legacy at IU with a helmet sticker is special. Hopefully there is more Mallory memorials planned in and around Memorial Stadium.

  • New Premium Seating/Hospitality Options: In addition to two new suites in the press box, the Henke Hall of Champions will also add a new season ticket fan amenity through a "club" experience, including theatre-style outdoor seating and inside access to all-inclusive food and beverage, big screen TVs and the like.

Having a field level club area for the general public is huge for IU. It should enhance the experience for fans with tickets in that location, turning an area of weakness into a strength. However, IU has to be careful as to what game is on the TVs, you don't want people watching other games inside while IU is playing 50-feet away.

  • Improved Accessibility: We have improved accessibility to Memorial Stadium for our fans with disabilities including four ADA compliant viewing platforms in the bowl and three in the press box suites, as well as two ADA compliant restrooms in the south end zone. Additional accessibility improvements have been made to multiple concession areas as well as the east and west concourse restroom facilities.

Giving all Hoosier fans a chance to enjoy the sights and sounds from a good seat in Memorial Stadium is important. Fans can now have access to viewing platforms with better views of the field.

Interesting

  • Food Trucks and Free Refills: To provide additional fun food options on the IU Athletics campus on game days, food trucks will be located in Memorial Stadium. Free beverage refills will be provided for all who buy the special souvenir cup at stadium concessions stands this season.

Bloomington has an eclectic selection of food and featuring it at football games is just smart. Having food trucks in and around Memorial Stadium enhances the fan experience for those who either don't want to set up a tailgate or are just in the mood for something different. It also is a great opportunity for local businesses.

  • Photo opportunities for fans on Memorial Stadium concourses (i.e., player cutouts, uniform and helmet displays, inflatable games, themed selfie stations).

This is a great idea in theory and should help engage the younger fans. However, if you're goal is to keep people in the concourses, you're doing it wrong. Hopefully, this will be out in the south end zone area.

  • Knothole Park at Sample Terrace presented by Aggressively Organic: The next iteration of the Knothole Park Legacy, this open-to-all venue located atop the Excellence Academy will be a key feature of our family friendly football Saturdays, including Chocolate Moose ice cream provided for free by IU Athletics for 12-and-under "Knothole Club" members, as well as a 3-D selfie station, mini-quarterback throwing game, mini-field goal kicking game, IU face painting booth, and stadium concessions.

Knothole Park has always been an interesting concept. It's difficult to keep the attention on younger children for three or four hours, so why not let them play while mom and dad watch the game. New activities seem like they'll be a hit and may even keep some kids focused on the game as they wait in line. 

Played Out (Not a Fan)

  • Kicks for Keeps: When IU makes a field goal or extra point, fans get to keep the ball. When an opponent makes a field goal or extra point, throw it back!

I get it, it's fun. However, it's played out. Not having nets looks amateurish and IU is missing out on a revenue stream. For a department that is claiming to have a smaller budget, any revenue is good revenue. It's time to bring back the field goal nets. 

  • William Tell Overture: The Marching Hundred and the Redsteppers fire up our team and our fans to finish strong in the fourth quarter.

I know I will get some backlash on this one, because it is a staple. But this tradition needs to be left in Assembly Hall. It doesn't fit football and just is awkward late in the game in Memorial Stadium. It is also just an excuse for Glass to fire off more fireworks.

  • Our Name Will be on the Front of Our Jerseys and Not on the Back: Again, consistent with our soon-to-be-unveiled IU Athletics Brand and Uniform Guidelines, and our status as the state's Flagship university, our football jerseys will once again bear "Indiana" across the front. Also consistent with the new Guidelines, our football jerseys will not carry the individual names of players on the backs of our regular season jerseys, consistent with our philosophy of team over self. 

I understand the sentiment and actually like it, but taking the name plate off the uniforms is a bad idea. IU football doesn't have the deepest traditions and trying to force it to be traditional is a mistake. The uniforms this season are pretty sweet, however having no names make them look cheap and takes IUFB back to the Dinardo days of the plan crimson tops. Boring.

For a list of all the IU Football Game Day experiences you can visit IUHoosiers.com