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 season.
But sellouts have become the norm over the last two year with four in each of the last two years. And the eight-game 2026 season projects to be the program’s first full season at capacity since 1969.
Last August IU AD Scott Dolson said facilities enhancements are the third priority behind compensating the players and coaches. Twice Dolson and his department have surveyed the fan base to understand what updates they’d like to see at Memorial Stadium.
And for his part, Cignetti has been vocal about the need to expand IU football’s home venue.
During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show in 2024, Cignetti said “You keep winning and maybe you build up that (east) side of the stadium and get 80,000 in here.”
The 65-year-old Cignetti also suggested the west side press box would be replaced before his tenure was up in Bloomington.
Naming rights deals like the agreement with Merchants Bank for the field at Memorial Stadium help. Perhaps there’s a stadium naming rights deal in the future, and/or we’ll see a sponsor on the football jerseys sooner than later. Those kind of arrangements would provide the kind of cash flow to justify a major stadium project while keeping donor funds aimed at the roster.
Significant projects like what is needed on East 17th Street take a lot of time and money. Several schools have announced or completed overhauls well into the nine figures recently. Florida announced a renovation project of more than a billion dollars.
But Cignetti isn’t backing down.
“The stadium will expand,” he told Adam Breneman last week, while acknowledging that it won’t happen overnight.
Cignetti can confidently say that because of the combined support from the administration, including Dolson and IU President Pam Whitten, along with a large a enthusiastic alumni base.
“We’re in the top third of the Big Ten in resources,” he told Breneman. “Everything here has improved from a facility standpoint and rev share, etc. And I think, you know, what a lot of people don’t understand about Indiana and the term the old sleeping giant was the 800,000 plus alums. More alums than any university in America.”
The support IU saw on the road during its College Football Playoff run has Cignetti convinced if Memorial Stadium is expanded, they will come.
“You go to Rose Bowl, 75% of people are Indiana fans. You go down Peach Bowl, 90-95%, play Miami for national championship on Miami’s home field and have 55 to 60% of the people there,” Cignetti said.
While Indiana has been gathering data and opinions regarding updates to its 66-year-old home stadium, no major plans have been revealed to this point.
The obvious focal points appear to be refinements to the concourse areas, updates to the aging mechanicals and infrastructure, and the addition of more luxury suite options.
But the extent of what’s possible in Bloomington seems to keep changing by the day.
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