Indiana University Athletics
Glass Meets with Media on Football Investments, Promotions and Gamedays, and Traffic
8/24/2016 3:19:00 PM | Football, General
BLOOMINGTON - Indiana University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass today met with the media on a variety of football-related topics including continuing investments in the program, promotions and the gameday experience, and avoiding traffic problems.
Continuing Investments
Each year since becoming Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Glass has continued to increase investments in football.
Coach Wilson and Staff
This off-season, Glass signed head coach Kevin Wilson to a new six-year contract. The agreement runs through the 2021 season, and Wilson will earn an average annual compensation of $2.55 million or $15.3 million over six years. No other coach in the Big Ten has more seasons on his contract and only one (Jim Harbaugh) has as many. The increased investment in coaching was not just limited to signing Wilson to a new long term deal. Additional investments enabled IU football to hire widely respected: Associate Head Coach/Defense Tom Allen, Assistant Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach Mark Hagen, and Director of Athletic Performance Keith Caton, as well as retain the highly valued remaining members of the coaching staff.
Memorial Stadium South End Zone Excellence Academy & Football Facility Renovation
On June 17, 2016, the Indiana University Board of Trustees approved the $53 million Memorial Stadium South End Zone Excellence Academy & Football Facility Renovation and construction will begin at the conclusion of the football season. The new facility will provide a home for and thereby enhance the Excellence Academy, one of the most innovative and effective development programs in all of intercollegiate athletics, as well as create a bold new "front door" to campus for Memorial Stadium and more generally the Athletics campus while also dramatically improving the fan experience for our football fans and upgrading the football locker room area.
Field Turf, etc.
A new Field Turf playing surface was installed at Memorial Stadium this summer. The new $700,000 surface replaced the eight year old surface, and features bolder and more colorful end zones and midfield State of Indiana logo. The new field features Field Turf's latest and best technology to give IU Football one of the premier playing surfaces in the country.
IU Athletics also invested $40,000 in facility branding efforts inside the stadium, practice fields, and coaches' offices.
Promotions
Raise the Flag
The Victory Flag being raised at Memorial Stadium after victories has become a tradition for IU Football since the installation of the new flag pole on the south end of the stadium in 2013. Reflecting this new tradition, "Raise the Flag" is the theme for the 2016 football season and serves as the focus of this season's football commercial, billboards, tickets, intro video, and other marketing elements. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RaiseTheFlag when expressing their excitement about IU football on social media.
Mini Helmets and Ticket Booklet
This summer, the IU Ticket Office sent each season ticket holder a package of four IU Football Mini Helmets and for the first time ever a single source, bound season ticket booklet that contains fans' game tickets, parking passes, and gameday information.
Oversized Footballs
IU Athletics is partnering with the City of Bloomington, Indiana University, the Chamber of Commerce, Visit Bloomington, and others to display oversized footballs on campus, in public spaces within Bloomington, and on the IU Athletics campus. Some footballs will have paint schemes similar to various IU Football helmets, while others will carry unique paint schemes created by local artists and students.
Memorial Stadium Tours
For the first time ever, IU Athletics will host special Memorial Stadium and IU Athletics venue tours on Friday nights before games. Tours will feature special interactive fan experiences like catching a pass on the field, special fan-run outs, and photos with team trophies. Tours will include behind-the-scenes access to Memorial Stadium, the press box, Mellencamp Pavilion, Cook Hall, and Assembly Hall. The tours will take place from 7pm-9pm on the Friday before home games and fans can sign up for tours on the fan page on IUHoosiers.com.
Glow Run
In conjunction with the IU Kickoff Classic game against Ball State on September 10th, IU Athletics will once again host their highly successful Glow Run at 9pm on the night of September 9th. The 2015 Glow Run received the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) Silver Medal Award for Best Student Promotion. Several hundred runners and walkers participated in last year's glow-in-the-dark run that ends in with an elaborate fireworks show. The Glow Run is free to the public and families are welcome. The course is roughly one mile and goes through the IU Athletics campus.
Gamedays
Dedicated Ride Share Pick-Up and Drop-Off Location
For the first time ever, IU Athletics will be providing a dedicated ride share pick-up and drop-off location on the IU Athletics campus. This will allow fans staying in Bloomington or who already live in town to use ride share services like Uber to be dropped off and picked up close to Memorial Stadium on gamedays. The conveniently located ride share pick-up and drop-off location will also ease gameday related traffic and parking issues, while allowing ticketholders to avoid the hassle of driving and parking on gamedays.
Pedicabs
Indiana Bikecab, based in Indianapolis, will bring ten bike cabs to all September and October home games and offer rides to the stadium from the tailgate lots surrounding the IU Athletics campus. Rides are free of charge, but fans are encouraged to tip drivers.
New Water Stations
As part of the Greening Cream and Crimson sustainability initiative, IU Athletics has installed three new water stations. They are located in Knothole Park, and on the East and West Concourses. Fans can bring empty bottles into the stadium to use at water stations, as well as refilling bottles and cups that they purchase at Memorial Stadium concessions stands.
Food Trucks and Free Refills
To provide additional fun food options on the IU Athletics campus on gamedays, food trucks will be located outside of gate E2 on the east side of Memorial Stadium and in the Red Lot prior to kickoff.
For the first time, free beverage refills will be provided for all who buy the special souvenir cup at stadium concessions stands this season.
Reminder: Don't Be That Guy!
Indiana University is committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable game day experience for all fans. Patrons who see fan behavior that is threatening, rude or vulgar in any way, are asked to report it to IU Event Services staff on-site at Memorial Stadium or by texting 812-369-MYIU (6948).
Avoid Traffic Delays
Arrive Early and Use Alternate Routes
Due to road construction on State Road 37 heading to Bloomington, IU Athletics encourages all football fans to arrive at Memorial Stadium as early as possible and consider alternate routes to avoid traffic delays on football game days. While IU Athletics has been actively working with local law enforcement, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), and its contractors to limit State Road 37 traffic congestion on football game days as much as possible, the continuing construction will create traffic delays which will get worse closer to kickoff. Parking lots around Memorial Stadium will open a minimum of five hours before kickoff, and Hoosier Village will open three hours before kickoff.
In an effort to improve traffic flow, INDOT will extend green traffic lights along Indiana State Road 37 on game days. INDOT and I-69 Development Partners will also work to limit lane restrictions on State Road 37 on gamedays. In addition, IU Athletics will provide improved signage upon arriving in Bloomington to assist fans traveling to and from the game.
IU Athletics has also worked with INDOT to identify routes to Bloomington as alternates to State Road 37 for persons coming to the games from Indianapolis and points north. Construction on State Road 37 has significantly increased the time it takes to travel from Indianapolis even under "normal" conditions. Gameday traffic will make it worse. While leaving very early can substantially mitigate such delays, particularly if you need to leave closer to game time INDOT recommends considering the following alternate routes.
From Indianapolis and Points North:
• State Highway 67 south to Spencer, then State Highway 46 east into Bloomington. Be aware that if you return on this route there is construction on 67 near Indianapolis impacting northbound traffic.
• I-65 south to Columbus to State Highway 46 west into Bloomington. There is construction on two portions of I-65 that could slow traffic on this route.
• I-70 west to 231-south and then State Highway 46 east into Bloomington.
From Points East of the Ohio/Indiana State Line:
• I-70 West to IN SR 3 in New Castle to SR 46 from Greensburg to Bloomington.
Communications
IU Athletics is also enacting a comprehensive communication effort to inform fans of delays, alternate routes, and traffic updates.
IU Athletics staff has been meeting with I-69 officials throughout the summer to discuss the impact of State Road 37 construction on gameday traffic. As a result of collaboration between IU Athletics, I-69 Development Partners, and INDOT, there is a unified communications strategy to ensure that up-to-date and accurate information is being shared to fans and travelers by all three parties. Representatives from either INDOT and/or the I-69 Development Partners will attend all game day operations meetings with Indiana Athletics. They will also be present on football Saturdays to assist with traffic updates and communications, and I-69 Development Partners will provide an on-call representative to help troubleshoot traffic issues and provide important traffic information. IU Athletics will be aggressively communicating the traffic challenges and ways to address them by purchasing more electronic signs to direct traffic to use alternative routes; dedicating a press box suite to support traffic communication on game days; months of meetings and unprecedented cooperation among local law enforcement, INDOT, and INDOT contractors; communicating with fans on social media; sending traffic related emails to all ticket holders regularly throughout the season; and delivering traffic related texts on gamedays to fans who sign up for the texting service by texting IUFB to 313131.
Oldies but Goodies
The Walk: The Walk will originate from the same location as last season starting at Mellencamp Pavilion and moving through the Orange Lot. The Walk occurs roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes before kickoff.
Hoosier Village: Opens three hours prior to kick off and features live music, the IU Football Pregame Tailgate Show, the Varsity Shop, a play area for kids, and various food vendors.
Kicks for Keeps: When IU makes a field goal or extra point, fans get to keep the ball. When an opponent makes a field goal or extra point throw it back!
Knothole Park: A football play area on the south end of Memorial Stadium for kids under the age of 13. Footballs are provided.
Engagement by Ushers and Event Staff: To help make sure our fans have the best experience possible, our ushers and event staff will wear large buttons saying "Ask Me. I'm Here to Help". Fans will be specifically and uniformly welcomed to IU and thanked for coming to IU.
Hoosier Bucks: Ushers and event services staff will have access to "Hoosier Bucks" for use at our concession stands, that they may provide at their discretion to fans who may be in need of a little love as the result of a spilled drink, dropped hot dog, or the like.
Red Light Special: Food and drink discounts offered in the 4th quarter of home games.
William Tell Overture: Played between the third and fourth quarters.
Fan Run Ons: Groups and organizations will lead the run out onto the field before select games this year. The freshman class will run on the field prior to the home opener against Ball State.
Back Home Again in Indiana: IU Jacobs School of Music professor Brian Horne will once again sing 'Back Home Again in Indiana' as part of the band's pregame performance.
Victory Flag: After every IU victory, the enormous IU Victory Flag will be raised by members of the Student Athletic Board on the giant flag pole on the southeast corner of the field.
Crimson Guard App: Students are encouraged to sign up for the official student rewards program for IU Athletics. Students who download the app from any app store become eligible for prizes and earn student priority points.
Red Victory Lights: After victories, IU Athletics will light the outside of the North End Zone complex of Memorial Stadium in red after games.
Roving Bands and Cheerleaders: Three different bands and cheerleaders rove the tailgate areas before home games to build excitement for the game.
Big Jake: IU ROTC will fire the cannon on the south end of Memorial Stadium after IU scores.
First Down, Touch Down, Third/Fourth Down, Tap Out Cheers
Friday Night Spirit Patrols: SAB, cheerleaders, and band stop at various bars and restaurants on Kirkwood and in downtown Bloomington to build excitement for the upcoming game.
On Campus Pep Rallies: Pep rallies during home game weeks held at high traffic area on-campus to build excitement for the upcoming game.
Interactive Zones: Photo opportunities for fans on Memorial Stadium concourses (i.e., player cutouts, uniform and helmet displays, inflatable games, themed selfie stations).
Tailgate and Stadium Spirit Patrols: Special promotions team which visits IU tailgates in pregame and inside the stadium to hand out giveaways, prizes, and keep fans engaged.
South End Zone Greek and Residence Hall Flags: Student organizations, residence halls, fraternities, and sororities can place their flags or painted blankets along the hill on the south end of Memorial Stadium.
Fan Advisory Board: A committee of fans will meet, consult, and make formal recommendations to IU Athletics staff on ways to improve the overall fan experience at IU Athletics events.
Continuing Investments
Each year since becoming Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Glass has continued to increase investments in football.
Coach Wilson and Staff
This off-season, Glass signed head coach Kevin Wilson to a new six-year contract. The agreement runs through the 2021 season, and Wilson will earn an average annual compensation of $2.55 million or $15.3 million over six years. No other coach in the Big Ten has more seasons on his contract and only one (Jim Harbaugh) has as many. The increased investment in coaching was not just limited to signing Wilson to a new long term deal. Additional investments enabled IU football to hire widely respected: Associate Head Coach/Defense Tom Allen, Assistant Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach Mark Hagen, and Director of Athletic Performance Keith Caton, as well as retain the highly valued remaining members of the coaching staff.
Memorial Stadium South End Zone Excellence Academy & Football Facility Renovation
On June 17, 2016, the Indiana University Board of Trustees approved the $53 million Memorial Stadium South End Zone Excellence Academy & Football Facility Renovation and construction will begin at the conclusion of the football season. The new facility will provide a home for and thereby enhance the Excellence Academy, one of the most innovative and effective development programs in all of intercollegiate athletics, as well as create a bold new "front door" to campus for Memorial Stadium and more generally the Athletics campus while also dramatically improving the fan experience for our football fans and upgrading the football locker room area.
Field Turf, etc.
A new Field Turf playing surface was installed at Memorial Stadium this summer. The new $700,000 surface replaced the eight year old surface, and features bolder and more colorful end zones and midfield State of Indiana logo. The new field features Field Turf's latest and best technology to give IU Football one of the premier playing surfaces in the country.
IU Athletics also invested $40,000 in facility branding efforts inside the stadium, practice fields, and coaches' offices.
Promotions
Raise the Flag
The Victory Flag being raised at Memorial Stadium after victories has become a tradition for IU Football since the installation of the new flag pole on the south end of the stadium in 2013. Reflecting this new tradition, "Raise the Flag" is the theme for the 2016 football season and serves as the focus of this season's football commercial, billboards, tickets, intro video, and other marketing elements. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RaiseTheFlag when expressing their excitement about IU football on social media.
Mini Helmets and Ticket Booklet
This summer, the IU Ticket Office sent each season ticket holder a package of four IU Football Mini Helmets and for the first time ever a single source, bound season ticket booklet that contains fans' game tickets, parking passes, and gameday information.
Oversized Footballs
IU Athletics is partnering with the City of Bloomington, Indiana University, the Chamber of Commerce, Visit Bloomington, and others to display oversized footballs on campus, in public spaces within Bloomington, and on the IU Athletics campus. Some footballs will have paint schemes similar to various IU Football helmets, while others will carry unique paint schemes created by local artists and students.
Memorial Stadium Tours
For the first time ever, IU Athletics will host special Memorial Stadium and IU Athletics venue tours on Friday nights before games. Tours will feature special interactive fan experiences like catching a pass on the field, special fan-run outs, and photos with team trophies. Tours will include behind-the-scenes access to Memorial Stadium, the press box, Mellencamp Pavilion, Cook Hall, and Assembly Hall. The tours will take place from 7pm-9pm on the Friday before home games and fans can sign up for tours on the fan page on IUHoosiers.com.
Glow Run
In conjunction with the IU Kickoff Classic game against Ball State on September 10th, IU Athletics will once again host their highly successful Glow Run at 9pm on the night of September 9th. The 2015 Glow Run received the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) Silver Medal Award for Best Student Promotion. Several hundred runners and walkers participated in last year's glow-in-the-dark run that ends in with an elaborate fireworks show. The Glow Run is free to the public and families are welcome. The course is roughly one mile and goes through the IU Athletics campus.
Gamedays
Dedicated Ride Share Pick-Up and Drop-Off Location
For the first time ever, IU Athletics will be providing a dedicated ride share pick-up and drop-off location on the IU Athletics campus. This will allow fans staying in Bloomington or who already live in town to use ride share services like Uber to be dropped off and picked up close to Memorial Stadium on gamedays. The conveniently located ride share pick-up and drop-off location will also ease gameday related traffic and parking issues, while allowing ticketholders to avoid the hassle of driving and parking on gamedays.
Pedicabs
Indiana Bikecab, based in Indianapolis, will bring ten bike cabs to all September and October home games and offer rides to the stadium from the tailgate lots surrounding the IU Athletics campus. Rides are free of charge, but fans are encouraged to tip drivers.
New Water Stations
As part of the Greening Cream and Crimson sustainability initiative, IU Athletics has installed three new water stations. They are located in Knothole Park, and on the East and West Concourses. Fans can bring empty bottles into the stadium to use at water stations, as well as refilling bottles and cups that they purchase at Memorial Stadium concessions stands.
Food Trucks and Free Refills
To provide additional fun food options on the IU Athletics campus on gamedays, food trucks will be located outside of gate E2 on the east side of Memorial Stadium and in the Red Lot prior to kickoff.
For the first time, free beverage refills will be provided for all who buy the special souvenir cup at stadium concessions stands this season.
Reminder: Don't Be That Guy!
Indiana University is committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable game day experience for all fans. Patrons who see fan behavior that is threatening, rude or vulgar in any way, are asked to report it to IU Event Services staff on-site at Memorial Stadium or by texting 812-369-MYIU (6948).
Avoid Traffic Delays
Arrive Early and Use Alternate Routes
Due to road construction on State Road 37 heading to Bloomington, IU Athletics encourages all football fans to arrive at Memorial Stadium as early as possible and consider alternate routes to avoid traffic delays on football game days. While IU Athletics has been actively working with local law enforcement, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), and its contractors to limit State Road 37 traffic congestion on football game days as much as possible, the continuing construction will create traffic delays which will get worse closer to kickoff. Parking lots around Memorial Stadium will open a minimum of five hours before kickoff, and Hoosier Village will open three hours before kickoff.
In an effort to improve traffic flow, INDOT will extend green traffic lights along Indiana State Road 37 on game days. INDOT and I-69 Development Partners will also work to limit lane restrictions on State Road 37 on gamedays. In addition, IU Athletics will provide improved signage upon arriving in Bloomington to assist fans traveling to and from the game.
IU Athletics has also worked with INDOT to identify routes to Bloomington as alternates to State Road 37 for persons coming to the games from Indianapolis and points north. Construction on State Road 37 has significantly increased the time it takes to travel from Indianapolis even under "normal" conditions. Gameday traffic will make it worse. While leaving very early can substantially mitigate such delays, particularly if you need to leave closer to game time INDOT recommends considering the following alternate routes.
From Indianapolis and Points North:
• State Highway 67 south to Spencer, then State Highway 46 east into Bloomington. Be aware that if you return on this route there is construction on 67 near Indianapolis impacting northbound traffic.
• I-65 south to Columbus to State Highway 46 west into Bloomington. There is construction on two portions of I-65 that could slow traffic on this route.
• I-70 west to 231-south and then State Highway 46 east into Bloomington.
From Points East of the Ohio/Indiana State Line:
• I-70 West to IN SR 3 in New Castle to SR 46 from Greensburg to Bloomington.
Communications
IU Athletics is also enacting a comprehensive communication effort to inform fans of delays, alternate routes, and traffic updates.
IU Athletics staff has been meeting with I-69 officials throughout the summer to discuss the impact of State Road 37 construction on gameday traffic. As a result of collaboration between IU Athletics, I-69 Development Partners, and INDOT, there is a unified communications strategy to ensure that up-to-date and accurate information is being shared to fans and travelers by all three parties. Representatives from either INDOT and/or the I-69 Development Partners will attend all game day operations meetings with Indiana Athletics. They will also be present on football Saturdays to assist with traffic updates and communications, and I-69 Development Partners will provide an on-call representative to help troubleshoot traffic issues and provide important traffic information. IU Athletics will be aggressively communicating the traffic challenges and ways to address them by purchasing more electronic signs to direct traffic to use alternative routes; dedicating a press box suite to support traffic communication on game days; months of meetings and unprecedented cooperation among local law enforcement, INDOT, and INDOT contractors; communicating with fans on social media; sending traffic related emails to all ticket holders regularly throughout the season; and delivering traffic related texts on gamedays to fans who sign up for the texting service by texting IUFB to 313131.
Oldies but Goodies
The Walk: The Walk will originate from the same location as last season starting at Mellencamp Pavilion and moving through the Orange Lot. The Walk occurs roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes before kickoff.
Hoosier Village: Opens three hours prior to kick off and features live music, the IU Football Pregame Tailgate Show, the Varsity Shop, a play area for kids, and various food vendors.
Kicks for Keeps: When IU makes a field goal or extra point, fans get to keep the ball. When an opponent makes a field goal or extra point throw it back!
Knothole Park: A football play area on the south end of Memorial Stadium for kids under the age of 13. Footballs are provided.
Engagement by Ushers and Event Staff: To help make sure our fans have the best experience possible, our ushers and event staff will wear large buttons saying "Ask Me. I'm Here to Help". Fans will be specifically and uniformly welcomed to IU and thanked for coming to IU.
Hoosier Bucks: Ushers and event services staff will have access to "Hoosier Bucks" for use at our concession stands, that they may provide at their discretion to fans who may be in need of a little love as the result of a spilled drink, dropped hot dog, or the like.
Red Light Special: Food and drink discounts offered in the 4th quarter of home games.
William Tell Overture: Played between the third and fourth quarters.
Fan Run Ons: Groups and organizations will lead the run out onto the field before select games this year. The freshman class will run on the field prior to the home opener against Ball State.
Back Home Again in Indiana: IU Jacobs School of Music professor Brian Horne will once again sing 'Back Home Again in Indiana' as part of the band's pregame performance.
Victory Flag: After every IU victory, the enormous IU Victory Flag will be raised by members of the Student Athletic Board on the giant flag pole on the southeast corner of the field.
Crimson Guard App: Students are encouraged to sign up for the official student rewards program for IU Athletics. Students who download the app from any app store become eligible for prizes and earn student priority points.
Red Victory Lights: After victories, IU Athletics will light the outside of the North End Zone complex of Memorial Stadium in red after games.
Roving Bands and Cheerleaders: Three different bands and cheerleaders rove the tailgate areas before home games to build excitement for the game.
Big Jake: IU ROTC will fire the cannon on the south end of Memorial Stadium after IU scores.
First Down, Touch Down, Third/Fourth Down, Tap Out Cheers
Friday Night Spirit Patrols: SAB, cheerleaders, and band stop at various bars and restaurants on Kirkwood and in downtown Bloomington to build excitement for the upcoming game.
On Campus Pep Rallies: Pep rallies during home game weeks held at high traffic area on-campus to build excitement for the upcoming game.
Interactive Zones: Photo opportunities for fans on Memorial Stadium concourses (i.e., player cutouts, uniform and helmet displays, inflatable games, themed selfie stations).
Tailgate and Stadium Spirit Patrols: Special promotions team which visits IU tailgates in pregame and inside the stadium to hand out giveaways, prizes, and keep fans engaged.
South End Zone Greek and Residence Hall Flags: Student organizations, residence halls, fraternities, and sororities can place their flags or painted blankets along the hill on the south end of Memorial Stadium.
Fan Advisory Board: A committee of fans will meet, consult, and make formal recommendations to IU Athletics staff on ways to improve the overall fan experience at IU Athletics events.
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