In spite of a 1-11 mark in 2011, IU Athletic Director Fred Glass announced significant increases to IU's football season ticket sales Thursday night. Glass said that as of August 2, approximately 26,033 season tickets have been purchased, the most overall sold in over 20 years.
Athletic Director Fred Glass announced Thursday evening at IU Football Media Day several upgrades to Indiana's athletic facilities, including cell phone service capabilities that will make Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium "the most cellular friendly intercollegiate athletic facilities in the country." In front of a group of media assembled at the Henke Hall of Champions, Glass announced the university will be making these cell phone reception improvements at no cost to the athletic department.
For seventeen of the past eighteen summer Olympiads heading into the 2012 London Olympics, an IU student-athlete or alum has medaled. On Wednesday, it became 18 out of 19 for the Hoosiers. 2012 IU journalism graduate Margaux Farrell earned a bronze medal as part of France's 4X200 freestyle relay team, which placed third during Wednesday night's final in London behind the United States and Australia. Farrell, who was born and raised in the United States but is a citizen of France, swam in the preliminary heat for the French team, swimming the second leg in a time of 2:00.06.
As Day 2 of the Big Ten Media Days finished, Michael Norman and Jordan Littman recap some of the major story lines, quotes and themes talked about by head coach Kevin Wilson and the three IU players in attendance.
Day one of Big Ten Media Days is in the books, with talk ranging from the gravity of the Penn State situation to the humor of one coach talking about knowing the exact amount of time he has been married (Bret Bielema (Wisconsin) - 19 weeks and five days). Following the completion Thursday's press conferences and television interviews, there are 10 things that IU and Big Ten football fans should take away from the day's events: 1. Is it another three-man race for IU at the quarterback position? Rewind back to the 2011 preseason.
While IU Football Coach Kevin Wilson and much of the IU media converged in Chicago, Ill. for coverage of Big Ten Media Days Thursday afternoon, the Hoosiers added another recruit to the 2013 class. Fort Dodge (Kan.) Community College defensive end Demetrius Hill became the fifth person of the class pledge to the Hoosiers program, only two days after visiting the Indiana campus on July 24. Hill's commitment follows that of Morris (Ill.) High School tight end Danny Friend, a three-star prospect who committed to the Hoosiers on July 12. According to Rivals.com, the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Hill is another three-star prospect, and chose Indiana over other offers from Memphis, Mississippi State, Northern Illinois and Oklahoma State.
Although football games in the Big Ten don't officially start until August 30th when Minnesota takes on UNLV, the Big Ten kicked-off the football season Thursday with its annual Big Ten Football Media Days.
IU Football Coach Kevin Wilson spoke to the media today at a press conference at the 2012 Big Ten Media Days.
Led by senior Eric Ress and incoming freshman Austin Saunders, four IU swimmers posted top finishes at last weekend's Southern Zone South Sectional Championship in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Ress won two events at the four-day meet, notching victories in both the 200-meter Individual Medley (2:05.05) and 200-meter backstroke (2:00.98). He also finished third in the 800-meter freestyle (8:21.73), fourth in the 100-meter backstroke (59.18) and sixth in the 100-meter butterfly (56.44). Saunders meanwhile was the anchor member of two relay victories from his Westminster Academy Swim Team, taking wins in both the 200-medley relay and the 200-freestyle relay.
IDS reporter and current Reno Gazette-Journal writer Max McCombs spoke with ESPN analyst Doug Gottlieb on Friday and when asked about the best teams in the country, Gottlieb mentioned that, on paper, IU and Louisville look like the two best teams in the country. "There's a little cluster there of Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State all kind of the same," Gottlieb said.
FROM IDS REPORTS Though they are taking a break from Big Ten competition, IU women's water polo athletes Shelby Taylor and Alynn Reade are staying sharp in the water this offseason. The two sophomores helped Team Alberta take home the gold Saturday at the 2012 Women's Youth Cup in Montreal, Quebec. Alberta defeated British Columbia 10-9 in the gold medal game and moved to a perfect 6-0 in the tournament. Taylor, a native of Calgary, Alberta, did her part.
After recently making it public that IU and Ohio University were his two top college choices, Aurora (Ohio) High School defensive lineman Patrick Dougherty has chosen the Hoosiers. 247Sports.com's Zach Osterman was the first to report the news. A 6-foot-5, 250-pound senior, Dougherty is rated as a two-star prospect and the 81st best prospect in the state of Ohio by 247sports.com. Dougherty is the Hoosiers' first defensive commit of the 2013 recruiting class and the third of the entire class.
Evan Jansen, a tight end from Moeller High School in Cincinnati, has had IU as his top school for a while, but took his interest to a new level Tuesday when he verbally committed to play at IU in 2013. Jansen is rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, and is the second member of IU's 2013 recruiting class.
FROM IDS REPORTS IU junior golfer David Mills qualified for the Nationwide Tour's United Leasing Championship yesterday by firing a seven-under 63 at the Country Club of Old Vincennes. The seven-under performance propelled him to a second-place tie in the field of 112.
Former Hoosier track and field athlete Molly Beckwith narrowly missed making the U.S. Track and Field Olympic team on Saturday, finishing just .22 seconds short of a top-three finish in the 800-meter finals at the U.S.
FROM IDS REPORTS IU Track and Field athletes Andy Bayer and Chelsea Blanchard earned Academic All-American honors Thursday, marking the fourth consecutive year the program has produced at least one Academic All-American and the second consecutive year it has produced multiple honorees. "We have had great success in competition since our coaching staff arrived in 2007," IU Track and Field Director and Head Coach Ron Helmer said.
On Monday, Homestead (Fort Wayne) High School wide receiver Isaac Griffith became the first member of IU's 2013 recruiting class Monday when he verbally committed.
A trio of recruits have chosen Indiana as their collegiate destination and are slated to join the Indiana University women's water polo program in 2013, Head Coach Barry King announced Monday. Goalkeepers Mary Campbell and Jessica Gaudreault will travel to Bloomington from Orlando, Fla., and Nepean, Ontario, respectively, while center Hallie Lindsey of El Segundo, Calif., rounds out the recent commits. Before Monday, utility Erin Pannek (El Cajon, Calif.) and center Candyce Schroeder (San Clemente, Calif.) had already pledged their futures to the cream and crimson. Campbell is a unanimous First Team All-District goalkeeper selection who set a team record for saves in a season and saves per game during an exemplary senior campaign at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fla. "Mary has some great physical traits, good length, and a nice initial move," King said in a press release.
Only one day after attending IU's Elite camp and earning a scholarship offer the same night, Homestead (Fort Wayne) High School wide receiver Issac Griffith has made his college decision. The incoming senior committed to IU Monday afternoon, becoming the football program's first commitment for the 2013 class. "I came up to camp, knew they were definitely interested in me and they'd been recruiting me for a long time, it's just that they hadn't put an offer on the table for me," Griffith said Sunday night.
