Hoosier football fans can expect a very different experience when they arrive at Memorial Stadium this fall.
In addition to the changes on the sidelines with the arrival of head coach Curt Cignetti, his staff, and several new players, there will be a slew of other new offerings and opportunities in and around Memorial Stadium designed to enhance Hoosier Football gamedays.
Provided by IU Athletics via release, they include some concepts we’ve previously reported here at TDH. Here’s the full list according to Indiana:
B-town Boulevard
The lawn south of Memorial Stadium along with a neighboring portion of Miller Plaza has been transformed into a festival-like atmosphere with the unveiling of B-Town Boulevard. This space will open 2 ½ hours before kickoff, and is open to all ticket holders as well as the general public. This new space will feature: a concert stage with live bands; food trucks; an outdoor bar; family-friendly games; IU Team Store with IU merchandise; and other IU-related attractions.
This new space has additional offerings as well, highlighted by the B-Town Boulevard Tailgate and Game Ticket Package . These packages are sold game-by-game and include complimentary access to a special pre-game food and beverage menu along with a game ticket. If you are planning a group outing in conjunction with an IU Football game, IU Athletics is partnering with Master Rental to offer B-Town Boulevard group tents. These tents will be located around B-town Boulevard, putting guests in close proximity to the best place to be before kickoff. For more information about arranging a group tailgate tent party at B-Town Boulevard, contact Maggie Coates at macoates@iu.edu.
A New and Enhanced Concessions Experience
In the spring, IU Athletics announced a new partnership with Levy Food Group for all its food and beverage needs. Those needs include concessions at all of IU’s home athletic events, including football.
Among the changes IU Football fans will notice in Memorial Stadium is the presence of several local favorites, including Buffalouie’s, Yogi’s, Social Cantina, and Aver’s Pizza. In addition, there will be the traditional person-to-person concessions options that fans are accustomed to, and several new Grab-and-Go locations designed for convenience. Collectively, a trip around the concourse of Memorial Stadium will reveal a much different and more diverse list of concessions offerings, ranging from chicken wings to Italian Beef sandwiches to tacos.
Dedicated IU Student Section
Indiana University students can look forward to being surrounded by fellow classmates in an enhanced and relocated IU football student section at Memorial Stadium this fall. The entire IU football student section has been moved to the north end of the stadium between sections 13 and 24. This change will enable all IU students to sit together, and this contiguous student section will also enable more IU students to be seated closer to the Memorial Stadium field.
All seats in the student section will remain general admission, allowing IU students to get the best seats on a first-come, first-served basis. Students can still purchase season tickets for the 2024 season HERE.
Also new this season, cadets with IU’s Army and Air Force ROTC programs will have a special field-level section behind the north end zone. Approximately 125 student cadets will cheer-on the Hoosiers from this section adjacent to the field. The section bolsters and honors the longstanding relationship these ROTC groups have with IU Athletics in support of various gameday operations. “Big Jake,” the vintage 75mm pack howitzer gun, operated by the IU Army ROTC battalion, will be housed near the section, and will continue to be fired after every IU touchdown, field goal or safety.
Relocation of Hep’s Rock
With approval from the family of former head coach Terry Hoeppner, Hep’s Rock has been relocated to the east side of Memorial Stadium, just outside the entry gates. This change will enable the three-ton limestone remnant from the original Memorial Stadium construction to be an even larger part of the IU gameday fan experience.
In 2005, then-first-year head coach Terry Hoeppner brought two great traditions to the Bloomington campus in The Walk and The Rock – which the team touched before every game of his tenure. After his passing in June 2007, the 2007 team dedicated it as Hep’s Rock on its way to the Insight Bowl. The Rock sat in the north end zone from 2005 through the 2023 season, which made it inaccessible to fans. In its new location, it is accessible to fans on gamedays and throughout the year. In addition, Hep’s Rock will now be a formal part of The Walk, with players, coaches, and staff, each interacting with the touchstone prior to entering the stadium.
New Stadium Runout Tunnel
When the IU Football players and coaches enter the field on gamedays this fall, they will do so via a new stadium runout tunnel that is being installed behind the north end zone. The tunnel will connect to the W. Jay and Nancy Wilkinson Performance Center, and when the players proceed through the tunnel and onto the field, their arrival will be accompanied by a pyrotechnics display as in years past.
Tobias Nutrition Center (TNC) Access Pass
A new premium opportunity this fall is the TNC Access Pass. Pass holders will be able to access the Tobias Nutrition Center on the south end of Memorial Stadium in the Excellence Academy and enjoy complimentary food options and will have access to a cash bar. Unlike in years past, only TNC Access Pass holders will be able to utilize the TNC on IU Football gamedays, thus ensuring that TNC guests have ample room in this IU premium space that overlooks the south end zone of Memorial Stadium.
Expanded Hoosier Pre-Game Pass
After drawing tremendous interest in its debut season in 2023, the Hoosier Pre-Game Pass is back in 2024 with new, exciting additions.
This VIP opportunity provides the chance for fans to sign up for an on-field, behind the scenes look at IU Football every home game. Registrants will be able to tour the IU Football meeting rooms and training facility; watch pre-game warm-ups from field level, get a professional group photo inside Memorial Stadium, and receive a special gift bag. Time slots are limited each home game and they go fast, so fans are encouraged to sign-up early.
New additions to the program in 2024 are Hoosier Birthday, My First IU Game, and Hoosier T-Shirt launchers. Hoosier Birthday registrants will receive a special visit from IU representatives during the game and a Hoosier Birthday gift bag. My First IU Game registrants will also receive a visit from IU Spirit Squad members, along with special swag to commemorate their first visit to Memorial Stadium. Hoosier T-Shirt launchers, meanwhile, will be able to shoot t-shirts into the Memorial Stadium crowd during a in-game timeout while accompanied by a member of the SAB Hoosier Hype Crew.
New Additions to the Hoosier Red Zone
The Hoosier Red Zone is a family-friendly pre-game area located between Sections 13-20 on the main concourse. It offers food, drinks, and plan-to-win games and other fun activities before the game. All of the area’s fan favorite games will be back this fall, along with a handful of new offerings that fans of all ages are invited to try out!
SeatGeek Integration is Complete!
SeatGeek is the official Ticket Marketplace of Indiana Athletics, providing both the seller and buyer the highest level of security and comfort with every ticket purchase. Now, if you can’t make it to a game, IU Football ticket holders can now sell their tickets in just a few easy steps directly through their IU Ticket account.
