I have been an IU fan since I was 9 years old and we played in the Rose Bowl. I have attended games in person since I was a student in 1976. I have had season tickets a total of 38 years since. I am old an want to share my observations and some facts regarding the program.
1. The administration and athletic department has never recognized the importance of a good football program and game experience in my lifetime.
2. The new landscape requires that this commitment must happen in the way of facilities, coaching, NIL funding and many other aspects.
3. Historically we are a bad program that has averaged 4 wins per season. We have had very few good years from a big ten or national level. A few highlights the 1945 team, 1968 Rose Bowl, my senior year season 1979 8-4 with a win over the undefeated BYU in the Holiday Bowl. Our last bowl victory which I had the pleasure of seeing in person the 1992 Copper bowl win over Baylor. A few decent seasons during the Mallory years and a couple during the most recent Allen years.
4. The facilities still need drastic improvement, and the game day experience is very lacking.
5. Here are a few of my suggestion. Make the size and seating of the stadium conducive to today's landscape. Chair back seats at least in the lower bowl. Have the concessions professionally managed although several organizations would complain that is their fundraising. If i read correctly they did either do or make a commitment to a football only weight room which appears to be a negative for recruits and players. Need to either renovate or replace Mellencamp indoor facility. Their needs to be improvements to the concourse, bathrooms, food options, and other things mentioned before.
6. I am a 24/7 IU sports fan and alum and really enjoy Big Ten Plus as I have enjoyed Volleyball, field hockey, both men and women's soccer and basketball. Other sports that I have at least watched are baseball, softball, cross country, track and field. This is a good value for a fan like me.
7. Having reserved parking areas and seats for women's basketball is a big plus for me that was added this year.
8. We have what I considered to be the best college futbol program. The accolades are too numerous to state, but 8 national championships are 5 more national championships than PU fans ever experienced in all sports combined in their history.
The administration must give full commitment to the football program for us ever to become a consistently competitive Big Ten football program. Whether you like it or not as a fan we have to accept and utilize the systems that are in place. NIL is here and at least some of the cheating or questionable practices are more open to see. No program is 100% clean unfortunately and there is definitely bias towards those programs that generate revenues for television and streaming.
I want to end with thanking Coach Allen and his love and desire to improve IU football. He did not succeed but it is obvious he has had a positive impact on the players. There are always some perceived negative situations with every program and coach, but I believe he was honorable and did his best.
Go Hoosiers administration make the commitment now to the overall football program and fan experience.
This is just an opinion post from a longtime fan.
1. The administration and athletic department has never recognized the importance of a good football program and game experience in my lifetime.
2. The new landscape requires that this commitment must happen in the way of facilities, coaching, NIL funding and many other aspects.
3. Historically we are a bad program that has averaged 4 wins per season. We have had very few good years from a big ten or national level. A few highlights the 1945 team, 1968 Rose Bowl, my senior year season 1979 8-4 with a win over the undefeated BYU in the Holiday Bowl. Our last bowl victory which I had the pleasure of seeing in person the 1992 Copper bowl win over Baylor. A few decent seasons during the Mallory years and a couple during the most recent Allen years.
4. The facilities still need drastic improvement, and the game day experience is very lacking.
5. Here are a few of my suggestion. Make the size and seating of the stadium conducive to today's landscape. Chair back seats at least in the lower bowl. Have the concessions professionally managed although several organizations would complain that is their fundraising. If i read correctly they did either do or make a commitment to a football only weight room which appears to be a negative for recruits and players. Need to either renovate or replace Mellencamp indoor facility. Their needs to be improvements to the concourse, bathrooms, food options, and other things mentioned before.
6. I am a 24/7 IU sports fan and alum and really enjoy Big Ten Plus as I have enjoyed Volleyball, field hockey, both men and women's soccer and basketball. Other sports that I have at least watched are baseball, softball, cross country, track and field. This is a good value for a fan like me.
7. Having reserved parking areas and seats for women's basketball is a big plus for me that was added this year.
8. We have what I considered to be the best college futbol program. The accolades are too numerous to state, but 8 national championships are 5 more national championships than PU fans ever experienced in all sports combined in their history.
The administration must give full commitment to the football program for us ever to become a consistently competitive Big Ten football program. Whether you like it or not as a fan we have to accept and utilize the systems that are in place. NIL is here and at least some of the cheating or questionable practices are more open to see. No program is 100% clean unfortunately and there is definitely bias towards those programs that generate revenues for television and streaming.
I want to end with thanking Coach Allen and his love and desire to improve IU football. He did not succeed but it is obvious he has had a positive impact on the players. There are always some perceived negative situations with every program and coach, but I believe he was honorable and did his best.
Go Hoosiers administration make the commitment now to the overall football program and fan experience.
This is just an opinion post from a longtime fan.