I hate it when the media tells a fan base they need to do something. I usually find it particularly annoying when the media complains about lack of attendance at games.
From a fan’s perspective: Why should a person who is getting free admission, food and parking for a game judge a fan who doesn’t want to pay insane amounts of money for tickets, admission and food or drinks for preferring to watch for free at home on television?
Because of this, part of me hates myself for writing this column; however, I’m going to write it anyway.
IU football deserves a big crowd when it welcomes in Northwestern, and it’s up to the fanbase to deliver Saturday night.
For decades, IU has struggled to fill Memorial Stadium. Per the IU record book, IU has only sold out “The Rock” four times this decade, all coming in games against Ohio State or Michigan, when the opposing team brings a significant amount of fans to Bloomington.
The annual process for attendance is usually simple.
It starts with a couple of cupcakes to not care about early in the year, then a big game with a large crowd against an Ohio State or Michigan that ends in a tough loss, then finally the fans tune out for basketball season while the football team struggles to try to get to six wins in November in front of small crowds.
“I would like to see the stadium filled up,” junior receiver Whop Philyor said. “They should be happy that we’re doing big things for our school. I feel like they should come out and support us.”
Philyor makes the key point in the second part of his quote: This is not a normal IU football season. The mantra for most IU fans throughout history has been, “Heck, I’ll support the team if they’re ever actually good.”
And for the huge majority of 121 years, that is a completely fair take to have. But in 2019, there is a different feel in the program.
The Hoosiers stand at 6-2 and have clinched a bowl bid in October for the first time since 1993. IU has a better record than traditional football powerhouses: the University of Texas at Austin, University of Notre Dame, University of Miami, Nebraska, Florida State University and University of Tennessee.
Yes, I get that IU is playing an offensive dumpster fire in 1-6 Northwestern. The opponent is not going to drive fans to seats, but the Hoosiers have a chance to clinch their first winning record in a season since 2007 and are in a position to have a top-three season in program history.
The Hoosiers are coming off their biggest football victory in decades.
It’s going to be the first November night game in Memorial Stadium history. If IU doesn’t get a big crowd Saturday, with all the positive momentum going for the program, it’s hard to imagine the fanbase ever fully getting behind the football program.
“I want a huge, huge crowd for this football team,” Allen said after the Nebraska win. “These kids have fought and fought and fought. I want our fans to come and support this football team. I get it. I understand the frustration of the past, but I don’t care. Come support this football team, and help these guys do something special. And that’s all I can ask.”
