Author: Mike Schumann

Illinois was humbled by Indiana in their Big Ten opener last September. So much so that the 63-10 dismantling they suffered at the Bloomington version of Memorial Stadium had Illini coach Bret Bielema singing the praises of the IU staff — to his own staff. One of the standout features of the sudden emergence of IU football is that they’ve been elite on both sides of the ball. Under the direction of offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, Indiana has been among the the nation’s best on both offense and defense in virtually every statistical category.  And…

It’s been a rough decade for college sports purists. First the transfer portal and player payments were unleashed upon fans.  And this summer the emerging new trend seemingly certain to sweep across the landscape and arrive in Bloomington:  jersey patches. Introducing the Culver’s Wisconsin Badgers, and the MSU Federal Credit Union Spartans. No word yet if Culver’s is introducing a flop-burger in connection with today’s news. In just the last couple weeks, both Wisconsin and Michigan State have announced corporate sponsor patches will appear on all of their team uniforms.  And that creates a near certainty we’ll be seeing a…

The 2026-27 NBA destinations for two former Hoosiers were confirmed on Monday. The Raptors are exercising their team option on Trayce Jackson-Davis‘ contract for the 2026-27 season, according to multiple reports. The move ensures that Jackson-Davis’ $2.41 million salary will be fully guaranteed. A 2023 second-round pick by Golden State, Jackson-Davis was traded from the Warriors to the Raptors at this year’s in-season deadline in exchange for a 2026 second-round draft pick. In two-and-a-half years with the Warriors, Jackson-Davis averaged 6.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 15.1 minutes per game across 166 total outings (54 starts). He didn’t…

Eight IU football players are on 2026 preseason All-American teams at Athlon Sports. A theme is developing, as these are the same eight Hoosiers who appeared on Phil Steele’s four preseason All-American teams — although the specific team is different for some of the players. Even though IU has one of the top transfer portal classes in the nation, seven of the eight preseason All-Americans are returners from the 2025 national championship squad. Here are the All-American teams the IU eight appeared on at Athlon’s: ———————————————— FIRST TEAM Rolijah Hardy, LB Carter Smith, OT Tyrique Tucker, DT SECOND TEAM Charlie…

“It was time for a change.” That’s how new IU basketball point guard Markus Burton describes his decision to enter the transfer portal following three successful seasons at Notre Dame. Any college athlete could use that explanation, but for Burton, it meant something more.  It was time to leave home, and what to that point had been a very tight radius in his young life. Set to turn 22 before the start of the 2026-27 season, the South Bend, Ind. native who attended high school at nearby Penn in Mishawaka, and then Notre Dame for three years, realized he needed…

Since Memorial Stadium was completed in 1960, the idea of expanding its capacity has been a bit of a joke among fans. With the completion of two end zone projects over the last 20 years, the available seats have actually grown by around 5,000.  But a major expansion has never made much sense in Bloomington until recently. Prior to 2024, Indiana had rarely sold out its home stadium, and on those rare occasions the visiting crowd often played a significant role.  Just four times prior to the arrival of Curt Cignetti had Indiana sold out multiple games in a single…

Class of 2027 top-30 guard Chase Branham is coming to Indiana a year early. But he’s not headed to Bloomington. After announcing his commitment to IU in September and leading his high school to a state title, the 6-foot-4 Branham will spend his senior year at national prep school powerhouse La Lumiere in La Porte, Ind. La Lumiere plays in the national EYBL Scholastic League, which will give Branham the opportunity to practice and play games against elite talent.  The Lakers run a modern offense that led the EYBL Scholastic in points per possession, 3-point attempt rate, 3-pointers made, and…

IU Athletics will be prominent at the 2026 ESPY Awards. The 2025 national championship football squad is up for Best Team, while quarterback Fernando Mendoza is up for Best Breakthrough Athlete and Best Men’s College Athlete. Former IU basketball player OG Anunoby’s game-winning Game 4 tip-in at the NBA Finals is also up for Best Play. IU football completed the first 16-0 season since 1894.  Under the direction of head coach Curt Cignetti, their national title game win over Miami marked one of the most dramatic turnarounds in sports history.  Indiana went 9-27 from 2021-23, and then 27-2 from 2024-25.…

Former IU basketball big man Sam Alexis will get a closer look from Oklahoma City during the NBA Summer League. Alexis signed a deal with the franchise to play over a slate of games that runs July 4 to July 16. He’ll be joined by fellow former Hoosier Lamar Wilkerson, who signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City hosted Alexis for a workout before the NBA Draft. Alexis spent one season with Indiana and etched his name in the program record book.  His 68.7 field goal percentage is the best single season ever by an IU player…

Legendary IU basketball coach Bob Knight’s 1987 national championship ring is being auctioned off. The ring is currently listed at Sotheby’s with an estimated sales price of $60,000 to $80,000.  It is described as a 10 karat gold ring with various jewels. Knight auctioned all of his national championship rings, his Olympic gold medal, and other items in 2012.  He said at the time he was doing it to raise money for his grandchildren’s college education. He was never into putting such items on display in his home. “I’ve got stuff I didn’t even know I had,” Knight said at…