I’m at the airport killing time. If someone already has a thread going with the same topic and I overlooked it, I apologize.
First, the crowd. IU fans occupied the entire west side of the stadium, the north end zone, much of the south end zone, and most of the northeast side. The overall split was at least two-thirds/one-third, and possibly closer to 75-25. It was an outstanding showing by Hoosier Nation.
It was great, too, how almost all IU fans stuck around after the game for the trophy and MVP ceremony, and CCC’s comments.
Access to and from the stadium was a nightmare, exacerbated by the overnight and morning rains and the closure of some lots. The line for the buses went as far as the eye could see. It was a great opportunity for sidewalk preachers with a captive audience, but we decided to walk the 1.7 miles from the shuttle location to the stadium. The grass fields just outside the stadium had become mud fields, but fortunately we were prepared for that. We entered through Gate G on the west side. We were herded into a tight area near the entrance and there were multiple issues with tickets/bar codes on phones. It took us another 45 minutes to get through that area. We made it to our seats 15 minutes before kick.
The game, of course, was great. IU people were loud and on our feet for most of the game. The stealth bomber flyover was spectacular.
Getting out was another ordeal. We didn’t feel like walking back so waited over an hour for a return shuttle. Did not hang in Pasadena (we spent time there before and after the UCLA game in Sep ‘24) as we were kind of done with lines at that point, but celebrated at our hotel a half hour southwest of Pasadena.
I had a momentary “is this real” experience at the start of the second half. I was struggling to process that we were actually kicking Alabama’s ass in the Rose Bowl. Hopefully the shock and awe continues for two more games this month! Go IU!
@big-ryan Getting into and out of the stadium is an issue and it was an issue even at the UCLA game in 2024. The fact that you have to take a shuttle to get an uber stinks. The rain did not do anyone any favors at all either. While walking around the outside of the seating bowl, lines to get in the portals to the seats were long and the bathroom lines before the game looked insane. Logistically it was a nightmare it seemed.
The venue creates a great environment for college football though. I was happy it cleared up towards the end of the game.
I think you shorted the IU fans. It seemed like 80-20 at minimum and a lot of the local fans were rooting for the Hoosiers too.
Rain and SoCal doesn’t mix. However it was the best day ever. We went to TD village for pre game. Food and beer prices were better than what I expected. My seats were good. The place was 80-20 and the even the after game bars were all IU. We went to one in Culver City and it turned into an IU bar about 30 mins after we got there. LAX was all IU this morning. It was so beautiful.
@thehoosierhuddle We didn’t notice access issues at the UCLA game, probably because the weather that day was great, we walked both ways, and the crowd was half of what it was yesterday.
You’re right about the crowd split. I probably erred on the low side.
We left Colorado & Los Robles for the 2.8 miles to the stadium at 7:45am local time through a steady and occasionally heavy rain.
On our way to the Big Red Warmup we noticed that the grass lots were wrecked
Got to the Big Red Warmup at about 8:45 to find a huge line. Apparently the Rose Bowl people decided it was going to be a single entry point but only provided one game scanner. So the line barely moved and we were in it for 45-60 minutes.
once inside it was like the last day of Woodstock. MUD! Not anyone’s fault, but that poor golf course. Food was good and everyone was trying but it wasn’t a great experience worth $165 a ticket. But I don’t think there were going to be any good experiences that morning.
got to the game an hour early. Weather cleared up and was beautiful for probably the single greatest game experience of my life. I had it pegged as 80-20 IU as well. Just hardly any Bama fans. It was almost like a home game.
we had intended to take the shuttles back to Pasadena but that line was a mess. So we walked back into town with about 20,000 of our best friends. The walk back was much easier since we had a better feel of the distance having walked it already and since we were walking on air.
went back for hot showers and a great night.
best moment was after the game. We had an extra ticket because our daughter decided to stay home for NYE. We invited a former teacher of our son’s who has become a good friend of ours. We already had a ticket, room, & rental car. Told her if she got her flight the rest was a sunk cost for us so she was welcome to come along. Her dad passed away recently and she brought an IU ornament he had given her. She left it at the Rose Bowl for him, he would’ve been crazy happy to have seen Thursday.
Looks like the infield at the track. Hoosier fans were probably feeling at home in the mud with a beer in their hand.
Hope is not optimism, which expects things to turn out well, but something rooted in the conviction that there is good worth working for. - Seamus Heaney, Irish poet and likely Hoosier basketball fan. POTFB
best moment was after the game. We had an extra ticket because our daughter decided to stay home for NYE. We invited a former teacher of our son’s who has become a good friend of ours. We already had a ticket, room, & rental car. Told her if she got her flight the rest was a sunk cost for us so she was welcome to come along. Her dad passed away recently and she brought an IU ornament he had given her. She left it at the Rose Bowl for him, he would’ve been crazy happy to have seen Thursday.
That's fantastic on a couple of different levels. Go Hoosiers!
Hope is not optimism, which expects things to turn out well, but something rooted in the conviction that there is good worth working for. - Seamus Heaney, Irish poet and likely Hoosier basketball fan. POTFB
@big-ryan Getting into and out of the stadium is an issue and it was an issue even at the UCLA game in 2024. The fact that you have to take a shuttle to get an uber stinks. The rain did not do anyone any favors at all either. While walking around the outside of the seating bowl, lines to get in the portals to the seats were long and the bathroom lines before the game looked insane. Logistically it was a nightmare it seemed.
The venue creates a great environment for college football though. I was happy it cleared up towards the end of the game.
I think you shorted the IU fans. It seemed like 80-20 at minimum and a lot of the local fans were rooting for the Hoosiers too.
Imagine what it was like when we played there in 1968 (just under 102,000 attendance) or the record attendance (just under 107,000) compared to the attendance Thursday of 90,278.
