At the admittedly very high risk of being called a troll (or worse) here, let me offer my outside perspective.
IU has a nice football stadium, and I haven't been there since the renovations were completed. The concourses and restrooms are relatively clean and accessible. Views of the field are great. Exposure to the wind, especially when sitting up high, can be an issue. Your stadium and the hospitality it offers fans are very good. That's not what is keeping fans away.
Other programs have leveraged, and built upon, strings of successes against bigger programs. In the 70s and 80s, Wisconsin was more down than up. In the 90s and, more so, 2000s, Wisconsin had some big wins over big programs. Slowly, those accumulated. Barry Alvarez, while he was coach and then AD, made sure football was a priority. Fans sensed that (and wouldn't have accepted anything less), and those same fans believed that little ol' Wisky could pull the upset. Oftentimes, they did. Eventually, Wisconsin became a household name in B1G football, if not a powerhouse.
I use Wisconsin as an example because they haven't always been what they are today. Something similar can happen at IU. No doubt, it will take some good luck. But when that win (wins?) comes against PSU, MSU, Mich., OSU, or whomever, people will (1) need to get excited about it, and (2) have faith that another one will come. You have a core group of fans that will do that. In time, others will follow. It takes a smart AD and a great coaching staff to start to pull this off. Yes, I know -- that's the source of some of your complaints. In time, you'll get it. Trust me.
I honestly think the more that IU fans talk about, and show pride in, IU football, the more pressure there'll be within the administration to focus efforts and resources on football. Fans have to care. They have to enjoy the game of football regardless of outcome. Caring doesn't directly translate to wins, but it influences the program and its culture over time. Make sure your President and AD know this in every way possible.
Bloomington is a fun place to be, especially in the cool fall weather. You have so much going for you. You will have a good football program, and you might not be as far away from it as you think.
Fred Glass absolutely agrees with you and all the other posters of the last 30 yrs that point out that if we win enough, that people will buy tickets even at beyond absurd prices.
that thank you Mr Obvious "win and they will come regardless of cost" mentality is precisely what has been killing IU's attendance forever, thus making recruiting so much harder.
if your 15 yr old son asks you for advice with girls, do you answer "be tall and good looking"?
that answer would certainly be analogous to the ever popular thank you Mr Obvious post of "win and they will come".
meanwhile back at the ranch, IU isn't filling the place at overpriced prices, and time to accept the reality of the price-demand curve.
Fred Glass could care less about attendance. he doesn't have to because he has zero pressure to.
and he just blames the coaches when the miracle doesn't happen, while never accepting any blame what so ever on himself for his own total lack of contribution to the effort.
FG is a political operative/lawyer who was hired on his ties to the .01% class.
when the NEZ was built, he carved out a big chunk as a gated community.
when IU got 40 mil from SS, all he did fan wise was build a royal box at the south end of SSAH.
when we built the the SEZ, only seats added were more royal boxes. (that go mostly empty i've noticed, despite being great seats).
easy to see who Fred is catering to.
Fred has no time for the little people, that's not who he was hired here to court, and building the base he doesn't see as his job.
over thinking everything, what promotions he does do are so exclusive to most area fans, that they don't even have a chance at them.
you have to buy only in groups of 4s, or work for this or that company, or of graduated from IU the last couple yrs, so 99% of people who would go if offered much cheaper options are never offered cheaper options.
don't over think it, and stop waiting for someone else to make it happen.
sell the upper NEZ and the corners as general admission, no points, $10 adults $5 HS age and under.
and IU student tickets shouldn't cost a cent. students are already financing the entire university.
every other industry has figured this out, including the ones who interview over at 10th and Fee Lane.
if Daydreamer whines his ass off again that he pays more than that for his reserved seat with points, let him.
when the winning fills the place without promotions, you can always back off them in an instant.
in the mean time, pushing "win and they will come" is only an excuse for the administration to do nothing to support the effort, and lay all the blame on others.