Author: Mike Schumann

It seems fair to say there’s virtually no way to exceed what Fernando Mendoza did for Indiana football in 2025. 16-0.  National champion.  Heisman Trophy winner.  No. 1 NFL Draft pick. How do you top that? You don’t. But it seems equally fair to acknowledge the quarterback you think you know before he arrives at IU is not the quarterback you’re going to see in year one with coach Curt Cignetti and his staff. We’ve documented this “QB whisperer” phenomenon extensively. On average, Cignetti’s last six starters at quarterback going back to his time at James Madison have seen a…

Two undrafted members of Indiana’s 2025 national championship team are off to strong starts at NFL training camps. Kahlil Benson has turned a spring minicamp tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs into a potential starting role this fall. The 6-foot-6 Benson appeared in 49 career college games with 33 starts. He started games at right tackle and right guard.  The Chiefs are putting that positional versatility to the test.  Benson has played starting right tackle and right guard during training camp in Kansas City.  He’s going to get an extended look during Kansas City’s exhibition games, and currently appears likely…

Steve Aird’s turnaround of the IU volleyball program is one of the more underreported stories in IU Athletics over the last few years. Part of the reason? Another Bloomington turnaround story has captivated the nation. “Certainly I’ve joked earlier that it’s taken me a little bit longer than Coach Cignetti to get good fast,” Aird said last week at Big Ten volleyball media day.  “But it’s been a labor of love. We’ve been working really hard over the last few years to develop elite-level athletes.” The volleyball story needs to be told in greater detail. Despite being picked 11th in…

Survey the current IU football roster and you’ll find all six tight ends have something in common. They’re all freshmen. “That room is really young,” coach Curt Cignetti said at Big Ten media day.  “Really young.” Yes, some are redshirt freshmen, or second-years if you prefer in this new age of five-year eligibility.  But when it comes to meaningful experience, none of the six have much of it.  That includes the spring, when injuries sidelined multiple players in the tight end room. That’s about to change of course, and on Monday Cignetti named the three who have separated themselves over…

The tangible benefits of elite college football are being felt in Bloomington. According to a report by Scott Dochterman of the Athletic, donations designated for IU Athletics have doubled year-over-year from $25 million to $50 million for the year ended June 30, 2026. The phenomenon of rapidly expanding student interest in a school in connection with major sports success has been measured in the past, and IU is experiencing that as well.  The Athletic reports applications have grown by more than 9.3 percent each of the last two years. More operational revenue has also come in the doors. According to…

This page will be regularly updated as information becomes available about future Indiana University men’s basketball games. Latest updates:  Full nonconference schedule for 2026-27 announced. 2026-27 EXHIBITIONS: July 21-27:  Summer international tour — Lima, Peru. Oct. 11, 2026:  vs. Butler, in Indianapolis, Ind. Oct. 18, 2026:  vs. North Carolina, in Indianapolis, Ind. Oct. 25, 2026: vs. Western Kentucky, in Evansville, Ind. NON-CONFERENCE: (32 total regular season games in 2026-27) Nov. 2, 2026:  vs. Eastern Illinois, at Bloomington Nov. 5, 2026:  vs. Bellarmine, at Bloomington Nov. 9, 2026:  vs. Syracuse, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis Nov. 12, 2026:  vs. Tennessee Tech, at…

Long before the nation knew about Charlie B. from Nashville, Tennessee, wide receiver Charlie Becker was making splash plays at IU football practice. “His true freshman year, before he was even playing, we had a walkthrough practice on a Monday, and Kurtis (Rourke) threw him a ball to the outside on the sideline, he jumps up and snags it one-handed right about like this (catching ball without turning his body around to face it, arm fully extended),” offensive tackle Carter Smith said.  “I’m pretty sure he caught it like that right in front of Cignetti.  It was wicked.” The buzz…

27 former Hoosiers were with NFL franchises at the start of training camp. Below we continue our summary of news and notes as they compete for roster spots. Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza was taking first team reps at practice Saturday.  That wasn’t necessarily because Mendoza has ascended to the top of the depth chart already. Quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive end Maxx Crosby were held out of practice Saturday for disciplinary reasons stemming from their fight Friday.  That paved the way for Mendoza. The Raiders’ first preseason game is Aug. 13 in Las Vegas against Arizona.  Former Hoosiers Ian Thomas,…

IU football’s anticipated 2026 starting center Bray Lynch is on the preseason watch list for the Rimington Trophy. The award is given annually to the nation’s top center. Lynch is an interesting addition to the list, as he’s never played the position in college except for occasional spot duty.  But he’s got two years of experience starting at right guard for a team that has gone 27-2 over that span.  He’s expected to be IU’s third-straight starting center who only started playing the position during his college career. Lynch is one of 40 players listed among the top centers in…

How good can Indiana basketball be in Darian DeVries’ second season at IU?  How low can they go? ESPN’s Myron Medcalf took a shot at setting a ceiling and a floor for every team in the Big Ten ahead of the 2026-27 season. Admittedly, this exercise is a bit premature with the potential for very late cycle roster additions like we saw last weekend when Sam Alexis announced his intent to return to IU. But a national perspective on the league still makes for an interesting expectation setting exercise here in early August. Here’s where Medcalf set Indiana’s ceiling and…