Indiana University Athletics
Two of Hoosiers' First Three Games Will Be Televised
7/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
June 16, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Two of Indiana's first three football games will be be televised on the ESPN network, Hoosier head coach Terry Hoeppner and IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan announced today. Hoeppner and the Hoosiers kick off the 2005 season on Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. EDT at Central Michigan in game that will be televised on ESPNU. Two weeks later (Sept. 17 at 5:45 p.m. EST), IU welcomes regional rival Kentucky to Memorial Stadium for a contest that will be televised on ESPN Classic.
Hoeppner has created a statewide buzz about Indiana football since taking the helm of the Hoosier program on Dec. 17, 2004. Not only did IU enjoy a productive recruiting period (24 signees) and spring practice session, but season ticket sales are going at record pace, as Hoeppner and his staff and players have made more than 40 public appearances around the state.
After spending the last 19 seasons at Miami (Ohio), including the last six as head coach, Hoeppner opens his IU tenure in familiar territory. MU and Central Michigan each compete in the Mid-American Conference, and Hoeppner has won five of his last six games as either an assistant or head coach. IU may own a 2-0 all-time record against CMU, but Hoeppner knows the Hoosiers will be in for a battle.
"The three best days of the year for a college football coach are Signing Day, the first day of spring practice and the season opener," Hoeppner said. "I am really excited about our football team. They had a tremendous attitude all spring, and they're taking the right approach to things on and off the field.
"Personally, I would rather not play on Friday nights. Friday nights have been and should be preserved for the great tradition and excitement of high school football," Hoeppner continued. "If at all possible, I would like to avoid playing Friday night games in the future. Nonetheless, the schedule has been set, and CMU is a great opener for us. They return 16 starters, and they have always been tough at home."
Following Central Michigan, Indiana entertains Nicholls State in the Sept. 10 home opener at 4 p.m. The Hoosiers continue that homestand on Sept. 17 when regional rival Kentucky visits Bloomington. The all-time series between the two schools is tied at 17-17-1, and Hoeppner knows that this game always lives up to its billing.
"IU and Kentucky have played some classics over the years, as this game is very meaningful to both programs, especially the guys from this region. This year will be no different," Hoeppner said. "We really appreciate the opportunity for great television exposure this early in the season."
Indiana University's television schedule is dictated by the Big Ten Conference, as ABC, ESPN and ESPN-Plus own the league's television rights. Per this agreement, the three television networks and the league office announce the remainder of the football television schedule in 12-day advance windows. Thus, any other future 2005 Hoosier telecasts will not be announced until at least 12 days before that particular game.
ESPNU, the new 24-hour college sports network which launched in March, has secured distribution agreements with DIRECTV, Adelphia, Mediacom, several smaller affiliates and is close to distribution agreements with others. The 24-hour television network is the key component of the multi-media ESPNU initiative that will deliver college sports content across ESPN's family of services, such as ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Mobile, ESPN Radio, ESPN Interactive, ESPN360, merchandising and more.
For IU football ticket information, please contact 1-866-IU-SPORTS.
