Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Rally Student Support for 2006 Season
4/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 27, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Members of the 2006 Indiana football team took to the streets of the IU campus to promote student ticket sales for the upcoming season. For the second straight year, the Hoosiers visited fraternity and sorority houses to stress the importance of the student body's role at home football games.
Junior center Chris Mangiero is a strong believer in the student body's help in giving IU one of the best home-field advantages in the Big Ten.
"The students are very important to the success of this team and the game-day atmosphere," Mangiero said. "It makes it easier to play when you have fans behind you. Many of the Big Ten teams have thousands turn out to support them. We need that at Indiana."
Sophomore defensive lineman Charlie Emerson, who participated in the visits, stressed the importance of student's support in the equation for winning.
"Support from the student body is extremely important," Emerson said. "Seeing that student section full and going crazy makes the game more enjoyable and the gives the team energy to feed off of. We are counting on them next season."
Freshman linebacker Jammie Kirlew believes that students' support will yield success.
"Student support is very important," Kirlew said. "If you have the student body's support, we feel good about what we are playing for and if we feel good, we will win games."
Phi Gamma Delta was one of the 14 houses the Hoosiers visited to create excitement for the upcoming season. President A.J. Barbato agrees that the student body has a duty to support the team that works hard to represent them.
"It is important to have student support at football games because the football players are working hard to represent us, the students, and they say our support helps them play better so the least we can do is give them our support," Barbato said. "I wanted the players to come to our house because it helped get guys excited since we got to talk to the players about the team and the upcoming season."
When Indiana University students purchase their 2006 season football tickets for just $74, they will receive a coupon for an adidas Crimson Crew T-Shirt and a $10 voucher for adidas apparel at the IU Varsity Shop or IU Bookstore. IU students also will have the opportunity to vote for the design that they want to appear on the adidas Crimson Crew T-Shirt.
Starting April 19 and continuing through May 12, students can go to votehoosier.com to choose among four designs that could appear on the front of the shirt, as well as the phrase `Coach Hep Got Me' on the back of the shirt.
Just as Indiana head coach Terry Hoeppner holds his players and staff accountable on a daily basis, he is depending upon the student body to do their part in Defending the Rock - Memorial Stadium.
"One of the best aspects of earning a degree from a great school like Indiana University is Saturday afternoons in Memorial Stadium with your friends," Hoeppner said. "We are going to win games because the students are there cheering us on. We will deliver on the field, and we need for students to deliver in the stands so that we can come up, sing the fight song and celebrate after games."
Students can purchase their tickets at the Indiana Athletic Ticket Office (855-4006 or 866-IUSPORTS) or on their IU Bursar Account. They may also go to the official Indiana Athletics web site, IUHOOSIERS.com, and print off a season ticket application. Group seating is also available for groups of 20-or-more students.
