Indiana Athletics recently released the claim process for student season tickets for the upcoming football season. Students who had previously purchased the 2026-27 pass received an email just after 4 p.m. Thursday with the rules and procedures.
Indiana will only allow students to select up to five out of the eight games at Memorial Stadium in 2026, the email read. Indiana’s national championship campaign was bolstered by student support inside Memorial Stadium.
The new process changes the long-standing tradition of Indiana students having the ability to attend all home football games with the season pass.
The change in the process wasn’t a hit for Indiana fans.
“I don’t want to tweet at IU staff but this claim process is the most flawed system humanly possible,” a X post wrote. “Why as someone who has attended over 50 IU games 2 years, including games off campus should I have to PICK between watching OSU or USC?”
Indiana Athletics attributed the change to a “record interest from the IU student body following our 2025 national championship season,” according to the email sent to students.
“As a freshman I watched us squeak by Akron in 4 overtime’s. As a senior I have to choose a max of 5 games,” another X post read.
How will the new process work?
Tickets will be fulfilled based on class standing, with an equal quantity of tickets for each class. Tiebreakers between potential students will be broken by the Student Priority Point Program. The program helps students accumulate points based on their attendance at other sporting events.
The process is broken into three claim periods. Two will occur in August, with the final one going from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1.
The first claim period takes place from Aug.12-13. Students will receive an email Aug. 10 with a date and time for the individual’s claim window for all nonconference games in Bloomington.
The next period will come Aug. 26-27 with students receiving an email on Aug. 24. The Nov. 28 showdown against Purdue for the Old Oaken Bucket will be part of this game selection.
The final period will come between Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. The two most high-profile home games at Memorial Stadium are in this period: Ohio State (Oct. 17) and USC (Nov. 14). Students will receive an email on Sept. 28, and claims will be fulfilled based on scanned attendance for September home games.
Here are the games for each window:
Claim period No. 1 — Aug. 12-13
vs. University of North Texas (Sept. 5)
vs. Howard University (Sept. 12)
vs. Western Kentucky University (Sept. 19)
*Students can claim two of the three games*
Claim period No. 2 — Aug. 26-27
vs. Northwestern (Sept. 25)
vs. Minnesota (Oct. 31)
vs. Purdue (Nov. 28)
*Students can claim two of the three games*
Claim period No. 3 — Sept. 30-Oct. 1
vs. Ohio State (Oct. 17)
vs. USC (Nov. 14)
*Students can claim one of the two games*
The Hoosiers begin the 2026 season against North Texas on Sept. 5 and start Big Ten play against Northwestern on Sept. 25.
