Few experiences match the excitement of a Saturday morning before an Indiana football game, even more so now that the team has won its first National Championship.
Long before the game begins, fans prepare themselves around Memorial Stadium to celebrate the Hoosiers. Inside Memorial Stadium, players complete their final routines while anticipation grows for the thousands of fans seated to watch them play.
From the team’s pregame rituals to activities that unite fans, here are some of the most recognizable traditions that make Indiana football special:
Tailgating around Memorial Stadium
Before the team arrives for warmups, fans already occupy the tailgating fields just south of Memorial Stadium. Opening five hours before kickoff, fans will eagerly take their spots to set up their tailgates with food and other fun festivities to enjoy. During the game, some fans will often stay by their tailgates and watch the game on TVs they bring.
Marching Hundred and the RedSteppers
Before the game, Indiana’s Marching Hundred takes the field for its 300-member pregame show, performing classic Indiana University anthems such as “Indiana, Our Indiana” and “Hail to Old IU” while precisely coordinating and marching as one unit. Indiana’s RedSteppers add many dance styles to the routine, known for their signature high-kick lines.
"The Walk" to Memorial Stadium
Before the game begins, Indiana’s football team will walk into the east entrance of Memorial Stadium. Indiana’s Marching Hundred and IU cheerleaders often join the team to show their support as the players walk past energetic fans. Before the team enters the stadium, all Indiana football players and coaches touch Hep’s Rock, a limestone boulder placed outside the stadium by former Indiana head coach Terry Hoeppner that symbolizes the strength and unity of the team.
Indiana football runout
As the team prepares to run out onto the field, the Marching Hundred assembles in their classic capital “I” formation, as fans prepare to greet their team. Right before the team runs out, “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC blares through the speakers of Memorial Stadium to raise the energy level in the crowd. When it’s time, the team takes the field, now led by Hoosier the Bison, as fireworks and cannons go off around the stadium.
The student section
Located on the north side of Memorial Stadium, Indiana’s student section is among the largest in the nation, with more than 10,000 students purchasing tickets every year. Although the student season ticket pass has recently changed, the section will remain packed and energized to cheer on the Hoosiers.
This story was originally published in the Indiana Daily Student's Fall/Winter 2026 Source Campus Visitor's Guide.
