Indiana University Athletics
Glass Announces Gameday Initiatives and Safety Measures
8/26/2015 4:31:00 PM | General
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass today made a series of announcements pertaining to the football program and the gameday experience for IU football games at Memorial Stadium. These announcements include several enhancements to the gameday experience, measures taken to help ensure fan and player safety, and how IU Athletics is planning to address potential traffic issues caused by road construction during the season.
SESA Designation
IU Athletics has become one of first athletic departments in the country to receive the prestigious Sport Event Security Aware, or SESA, designation from the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security, or NCS4, for Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall. IU is just one of 11 institutions nationally to earn the SESA designation.
NCS4's comprehensive training and assessment process provides institutions with a set of scalable standards for assessing risks, identifying vulnerabilities, developing appropriate plans, policies and procedures, and providing training and exercise to facility staff.
The designation process required an extensive review of IU's safety and security programs at Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall against a series of standards intended to measure a facility's current safety, security and incident management systems and provide a "road map' for continuous improvement. The result is a continual four-year cycle to review and upgrade safety, security, and incident management programs.
Honoring History
This season, IU Athletics is honoring IU Football history in several ways. This year's IU football commercial titled "Let's Dig In," uses words from a speech by IU President Herman B. Wells to Bo McMillin's 1945 Big Ten Champion team as the basis for the 30 second spot. The narrator is College Football Hall of Famer and member of that 1945 team George Taliaferro, who in an accompanying website https://letsdigin.indiana.edu/ movingly tells the story of his relationship with Wells, how they worked together to help integrate Bloomington, and his own recollection of Wells' speech. "Let's Dig In" is the motto for this season and is featured prominently on posters, schedule cards, and in this season's team intro video.
This coincides with the 70th anniversary of the undefeated Big Ten Champion 1945 team that will have its reunion at the Homecoming game against Rutgers on October 17th. Seven different Indiana University bowl teams will also be commemorated on refillable cups sold at concessions stands, with a different team being featured on a cup at each of the seven home games.
Utilizing Technology
The Mark Cuban Center for Sports Media and Technology is already working with football utilizing virtual reality technology to aid in player instruction. Virtual reality specialists have gathered footage during several practices to build a library of plays for athletes to view at a virtual reality station that was installed in a football team meeting room. These plays are used as three or four second, immersive "flashcards" for players to quickly analyze plays and game situations at full game speed.
This fall, IU Athletics will also be the first athletic department to install "freeD™ from Replay Technologies in their football stadium. This technology gives IU fans a one-of-a-kind 3D video board experience as well as enabling IU to create unique highlight and recruiting videos. "freeD™ from Replay Technologies allows for the capturing of almost an infinite scene. The camera angles are limitless and gives the director new angles that not only go around the action but also above it and even in-between the players. The installation is expected to be completed late this fall, hopefully in time for one home football game.
Improve Student Fan Experience
IU Athletics will be utilizing FanMaker technology to improve our student loyalty program by allowing students to check in during games without a student ID and be able to track their points on their smartphones; increase fan engagement on social media by giving students points for sharing selected facebook, Instagram, and twitter posts; communicate with students during games by alerting them of specials and sales at concessions stands and the Varsity Shop; and to encourage early arrival by awarding extra points for entering Memorial Stadium prior to kickoff. This is made possible by beacons placed at the entrance of Memorial Stadium. These beacons are tiny Bluetooth devices that detect a fan's location so that when students walk past a beacon they will be awarded points that will make them eligible for prizes and improve their point total for better seat distribution for men's basketball games. FanMaker will also enable IU Athletics to send intelligent push notifications to students.
The student section has been renamed the Crimson Guard for football and all sports except men's soccer (Hoosier Army). Crimson Guard will also be the name of the student rewards program. Having one official name for all student sections and the rewards program will make it much easier to promote and market upcoming games and promotions to students.
Fan Advisory Board
A group of 20 fans were selected last fall to provide input on how IU Athletics can improve on the seven areas of fan experience at home events (arrivals, safety and security, gameday staff, in-game enhancements and technology, game entertainment, concessions, departure). Members of the FAB attended events and provided feedback at formal meetings. The program was successful and will return this year. Here are some improvements to the gameday experience this year that were made based upon the recommendations of the board:
• Same police officers will be at the same location every game.
• More replays on the videoboard
• Fewer commercials and more on-court promotions during timeouts
• Study how pedestrian traffic impacts arrival and departure
• Improved signage at gates and for traffic
• Add more food options including the Chocolate Moose
• More video board elements and social media that feature the personalities of student-athletes
New Stadium Graphics
New graphics inside the stadium used in cooperation with the University that utilize iconic IU branding elements and provide Memorial Stadium with a sharp all red look. New graphics were also installed on the windows of the Jay and Nancy Wilkinson Sports Performance Center in the North End Zone and above the northeast and northwest doors.
Better Fireworks
A much larger truss system has been built on the field for the team run on before kickoff. Fireworks and other pyrotechnics will come off the top of the large video board and on the roof of the North End Zone rather than from outside the stadium.
Concussions
Indiana University is at the vanguard of concussion safety protocols. IU Athletics has drafted a new Concussion Management Policy which was approved by the NCAA Concussion Safety Protocol Committee on June 29, 2015. IU was among the first universities to have a neurosurgeon on the sideline at all home football games. IU was also among the first universities to have a neurosurgeon on the sideline at all away football games and were among the first universities to have an athletic medical professional in the press box at home and away football games to help identify potentially concussed players –a practice now mandated by the Big Ten.
The Big Ten Conference is also a leader in concussion research and treatment. New this season, a Big Ten appointed spotter will be secluded in the replay booth to offer independent assessment and treatment of possible concussions during games. The Big Ten is the only conference in the country to appoint a spotter at every conference home game.
Oldies but Goodies
The Walk
Kicks for Keeps
Knothole Park
Red Light Special
William Tell Overture
Fan Run Ons
Back Home Again in Indiana
Victory Flag
Red Victory Lights
Roving Bands and Cheerleaders
Big Jake
First Down, Touch Down, Third/Fourth Down, Tap Out Cheers
Friday Night Spirit Patrols
On Campus Pep Rallies
Super Fan
South End Zone Greek and Dorm Flags
SESA Designation
IU Athletics has become one of first athletic departments in the country to receive the prestigious Sport Event Security Aware, or SESA, designation from the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security, or NCS4, for Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall. IU is just one of 11 institutions nationally to earn the SESA designation.
NCS4's comprehensive training and assessment process provides institutions with a set of scalable standards for assessing risks, identifying vulnerabilities, developing appropriate plans, policies and procedures, and providing training and exercise to facility staff.
The designation process required an extensive review of IU's safety and security programs at Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall against a series of standards intended to measure a facility's current safety, security and incident management systems and provide a "road map' for continuous improvement. The result is a continual four-year cycle to review and upgrade safety, security, and incident management programs.
Honoring History
This season, IU Athletics is honoring IU Football history in several ways. This year's IU football commercial titled "Let's Dig In," uses words from a speech by IU President Herman B. Wells to Bo McMillin's 1945 Big Ten Champion team as the basis for the 30 second spot. The narrator is College Football Hall of Famer and member of that 1945 team George Taliaferro, who in an accompanying website https://letsdigin.indiana.edu/ movingly tells the story of his relationship with Wells, how they worked together to help integrate Bloomington, and his own recollection of Wells' speech. "Let's Dig In" is the motto for this season and is featured prominently on posters, schedule cards, and in this season's team intro video.
This coincides with the 70th anniversary of the undefeated Big Ten Champion 1945 team that will have its reunion at the Homecoming game against Rutgers on October 17th. Seven different Indiana University bowl teams will also be commemorated on refillable cups sold at concessions stands, with a different team being featured on a cup at each of the seven home games.
Utilizing Technology
The Mark Cuban Center for Sports Media and Technology is already working with football utilizing virtual reality technology to aid in player instruction. Virtual reality specialists have gathered footage during several practices to build a library of plays for athletes to view at a virtual reality station that was installed in a football team meeting room. These plays are used as three or four second, immersive "flashcards" for players to quickly analyze plays and game situations at full game speed.
This fall, IU Athletics will also be the first athletic department to install "freeD™ from Replay Technologies in their football stadium. This technology gives IU fans a one-of-a-kind 3D video board experience as well as enabling IU to create unique highlight and recruiting videos. "freeD™ from Replay Technologies allows for the capturing of almost an infinite scene. The camera angles are limitless and gives the director new angles that not only go around the action but also above it and even in-between the players. The installation is expected to be completed late this fall, hopefully in time for one home football game.
Improve Student Fan Experience
IU Athletics will be utilizing FanMaker technology to improve our student loyalty program by allowing students to check in during games without a student ID and be able to track their points on their smartphones; increase fan engagement on social media by giving students points for sharing selected facebook, Instagram, and twitter posts; communicate with students during games by alerting them of specials and sales at concessions stands and the Varsity Shop; and to encourage early arrival by awarding extra points for entering Memorial Stadium prior to kickoff. This is made possible by beacons placed at the entrance of Memorial Stadium. These beacons are tiny Bluetooth devices that detect a fan's location so that when students walk past a beacon they will be awarded points that will make them eligible for prizes and improve their point total for better seat distribution for men's basketball games. FanMaker will also enable IU Athletics to send intelligent push notifications to students.
The student section has been renamed the Crimson Guard for football and all sports except men's soccer (Hoosier Army). Crimson Guard will also be the name of the student rewards program. Having one official name for all student sections and the rewards program will make it much easier to promote and market upcoming games and promotions to students.
Fan Advisory Board
A group of 20 fans were selected last fall to provide input on how IU Athletics can improve on the seven areas of fan experience at home events (arrivals, safety and security, gameday staff, in-game enhancements and technology, game entertainment, concessions, departure). Members of the FAB attended events and provided feedback at formal meetings. The program was successful and will return this year. Here are some improvements to the gameday experience this year that were made based upon the recommendations of the board:
• Same police officers will be at the same location every game.
• More replays on the videoboard
• Fewer commercials and more on-court promotions during timeouts
• Study how pedestrian traffic impacts arrival and departure
• Improved signage at gates and for traffic
• Add more food options including the Chocolate Moose
• More video board elements and social media that feature the personalities of student-athletes
New Stadium Graphics
New graphics inside the stadium used in cooperation with the University that utilize iconic IU branding elements and provide Memorial Stadium with a sharp all red look. New graphics were also installed on the windows of the Jay and Nancy Wilkinson Sports Performance Center in the North End Zone and above the northeast and northwest doors.
Better Fireworks
A much larger truss system has been built on the field for the team run on before kickoff. Fireworks and other pyrotechnics will come off the top of the large video board and on the roof of the North End Zone rather than from outside the stadium.
Concussions
Indiana University is at the vanguard of concussion safety protocols. IU Athletics has drafted a new Concussion Management Policy which was approved by the NCAA Concussion Safety Protocol Committee on June 29, 2015. IU was among the first universities to have a neurosurgeon on the sideline at all home football games. IU was also among the first universities to have a neurosurgeon on the sideline at all away football games and were among the first universities to have an athletic medical professional in the press box at home and away football games to help identify potentially concussed players –a practice now mandated by the Big Ten.
The Big Ten Conference is also a leader in concussion research and treatment. New this season, a Big Ten appointed spotter will be secluded in the replay booth to offer independent assessment and treatment of possible concussions during games. The Big Ten is the only conference in the country to appoint a spotter at every conference home game.
Oldies but Goodies
The Walk
Kicks for Keeps
Knothole Park
Red Light Special
William Tell Overture
Fan Run Ons
Back Home Again in Indiana
Victory Flag
Red Victory Lights
Roving Bands and Cheerleaders
Big Jake
First Down, Touch Down, Third/Fourth Down, Tap Out Cheers
Friday Night Spirit Patrols
On Campus Pep Rallies
Super Fan
South End Zone Greek and Dorm Flags
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