The following is a press release written by Lucas Rhed.
The feeling that swept through Bloomington during Indiana University's historic 2025 National Championship season has found a soundtrack.
“The Bison Beat,” independently written by Lucas Rhed, pays tribute to Bloomington, IU football and the generations of students, alumni and fans who remained loyal to the program long before national attention arrived.
Rhed attended IU-Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI), where he competed in track and cross country while earning his degree from the Kelley School of Business. The song began as a poem and rough demo before the response from friends and people connected to IU convinced him to turn it into a full Nashville recording.
“The Bison Beat” features musicians who have performed on Grammy-winning projects and have recorded and toured with major country artists. Lead vocals are performed by Adam Cunningham, a Top 8 finalist on NBC's The Voice.
The song is deeply rooted in Bloomington, weaving together local destinations, IU traditions, player jersey numbers and the shared experience of an IU football Saturday. At its center is a simple idea: the people who spent years believing in Indiana football finally got to experience the moment they had been waiting for.
A professionally produced music video accompanies the release and was created in partnership with The Creative Brew, a Bloomington-based creative agency founded by current Indiana University students John Gilbert and Owen Guest. Alongside team member Alex Gastineau, the Bloomington-based team brought together individuals with strong ties to Indiana University and a shared passion for Hoosier football, creating a visual celebration of the traditions and community that make Bloomington unique.
The project was independently written, produced and funded, growing from one fan's attempt to capture the excitement and pride surrounding Indiana football's historic rise. A simple poem evolved into a Nashville recording and, ultimately, a visual celebration of Indiana football and the Bloomington community.
"I had a great supporting cast that helped make this song I originally wrote for fun come to life," said Rhed. "I wanted to create something that remembered last year's magical team while also honoring Indiana University and the town of Bloomington, capturing the
excitement surrounding the return of the bison and looking ahead to the future of Indiana football. I hope the current generation appreciates how special that season was for longtime fans, especially those who had parents, grandparents, other family members and friends who spent years supporting Indiana football but never got the chance to see a run like that."
“The Bison Beat” will be released on September 1, 2026, and will be available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
