We made some earlier mentions of the 2007-2008 men's basketball schedule, but I wanted to follow up on it.
A lot of IU fans are stoked to play the rival Kentucky Wildcats in Assembly Hall this year -- payback for last year when the Hoosiers had to play in Rupp Arena. The two schools had an agreement to play a neutral game every year, rotating between Freedom Hall in Louisville and the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Since Freedom Hall was booked, last year's game was at Rupp. This year's game is in the Hall.
The Hoosiers were suppossed to play UConn in Indianapolis, but because the Huskies hosted the Hoosiers on UConn's campus, that game, too, will be at Assembly Hall.
In addition to the bi-annual Kentucky game in Indianapolis, IU used to host the Hoosier Classic, with games in Bloomington and Indianapolis. And, for the past few years, IU had scheduled a Christmastime game at Conseco Fieldhouse against another Indiana team.
This year, though, there are no regular season games in Indianapolis -- quite an anomaly for the cream and crimson. The last time IU didn't play a regular season game in the Circle City was the 1973-1974 season. A neutral game in Indianapolis has been a way for fans who don't hold season tickets at Assembly Hall to catch a game.
The Big Ten Tournament will be at Conseco Fieldhouse for the next five years, though. But still, then IU fans are sitting next to Ohio State fans, and who wants to do that?
Scott Medalen, president of the Central Indiana chapter of the IU Alumni Association, said he "has not heard anybody peep about the fact" that there are no regular season games in Indy.
"No one's upset they're not having any games up here," he said. "Everyone's happier about the direction of the program overall."
Bloomington's less than an hour from Indianapolis, so fans who want to see the Hoosiers can still see them if they want, he said.
Medalen is excited about the season and the prospect of watching Kentucky play in Assembly Hall. But his most anticipated game of the year?
"It has to be Illinois," he said. "It will be a testy, but fun environment"
