IU Athletics Director Fred Glass proudly wears a construction hardhat bearing his name.
Glass showed off the construction site Monday for the Memorial Stadium south end zone Excellence Academy, the latest major facility improvement project under his watch.
He's happy to discuss the $53-million project will enhance the experience of all IU student-athletes, creating a central location for medical services, nutrition, career development and leadership and life skills for the Hoosiers.
What he didn't explicitly say was how important it will be for the IU football program. While the Excellence Academy is a terrific addition overall for all 24 sports, it demonstrates a commitment to the football program from Glass and the department.
"It's huge," IU Coach Tom Allen said at Big Ten Media Day. "It's great for our recruits to see the growth, number one. Number two, it's real. You can talk about, 'Hey, we got these plans.' Well, no, they can look over there and see it all. Anytime you're growing and expanding, it's super positive for your guys."
With the addition of the Tobias Nutrition Center, the Hoosier Room can be transformed and IU can have a new state-of-the-art locker room. In the arms race that is college football recruiting, this is huge.
Allen's team resides in one of the best divisions in the country in the Eastern division of the Big Ten. Playing Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State on an annual basis makes life extremely difficult for the Hoosiers, and the only way for IU to consistently keep up with these blue bloods is to invest substantial money into the infrastructure of the program.
The Excellence Academy signals that buy-in.
While IU football still might lag considerably behind those schools in terms of attendance, where IU may be able to pass them by is in terms of how they take care of each player. The Academy can be a recruiting advantage for Allen as it shows IU's commitment to development of the full person, providing each player with the necessary facilities and technology to do so.
The Hoosiers might not have the history and tradition of other Big Ten powers, but the Excellence Academy serves as an opportunity for IU to get a leg up in terms of its medical and nutritional services, important facets of any football program.
The Excellence Academy will be on full display when ESPN's College "GameDay" comes to Bloomington Aug. 31 for the season opener against Ohio State. The crew will broadcast live from the south end zone, right where the new project is under construction. Millions will get to see the development of the IU football program first-hand.
"I think that's awesome because I love having progress vividly demonstrated on national television," Glass said.
Glass entrusted Allen to lead the program and continue the work former IU Coach Kevin Wilson did to lay the foundation.
Like the Excellence Academy, Allen's vision for the program is still under construction, but when the game against the Buckeyes kicks off, we'll get to see the first glimpse of his undertaking.
No hardhats required.
