Game week: Here are the odds, projections, details for IU football’s opener vs. ODU

‘Hoosier The Bison’ Set to Make First Public Appearance Saturday, Highlighting New IU Football Gameday Experiences For 2025

BLOOMINGTON, Indiana – Hoosier Football fans will have the chance to enjoy a variety of new and exciting experiences when they watch Coach Curt Cignetti’s team at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium this fall.

These new opportunities all begin this Saturday, Aug. 30, when the 20th-ranked Hoosiers host Old Dominion at 2:30 p.m. for the 2025 season opener. Among the new items planned for this fall are:

Mascot Reveal
Indiana University-Bloomington’s new official mascot, Hoosier The Bison, will make its first public appearance during the pre-game Marching Hundred show Saturday. After re-introducing himself to Hoosier fans before the opening kickoff, ‘Hoosier’ will roam in and around the stadium for the remainder of the game. Fans are encouraged to enter the stadium as early as possible (stadium gates open at 1 p.m.) to ensure they don’t miss what Hoosier has in store for his highly-anticipated debut.

Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium
In addition to the arrival of Hoosier The Bison, fans will also see new signage on the field to recognize the new partnership between Merchants Bank and IU Athletics. Last week, IU announced a 20-year, $50 million agreement with Merchants Bank that includes naming rights for the Memorial Stadium’s playing surface. As a component of the agreement, Merchants Bank will also be providing IU’s student-athletes with comprehensive and complimentary financial literacy training to help them maximize their opportunities in the new world of intercollegiate athletics.

‘Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium’ will be prominently displayed on the field turf beginning Saturday, while additional interior, exterior, and directional signage will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Gameday Experiences
Hoosier fans can take advantage of a series of VIP opportunities that offer on-field, behind-the-scenes, and special recognitions during each of IU’s seven home games this season. These experiences include:

• Hoosier Pre-Game Pass: Register to get a behind-the-scenes, up-close look at IU Football on gameday! Each member of your group will receive a special pregame credential and you will tour the IU Football meeting rooms and training facility; watch pre-game warm-ups from field level; get a group photo from the Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium; and receive a special IU gift bag. Each pre-game pass is good for up to five people (additional passes can be purchased if you have a larger group).

• First IU Game: Commemorate your first IU game with a special IU gift bag and ‘Gift Game’ certificate, which we will have waiting for you at the Hoosier Experience Booth on gameday! You can also upgrade your experience and have Hoosier The Bison make a visit to your seat your first Memorial Stadium visit that much more special!

• Hoosier Birthday: Like the ‘First IU Game’ experience, celebrate your birthday in style with a special IU gift bag and birthday certificate! Hoosier The Bison is also available for an in-seat visit for those who wish to upgrade their experience.

• Shoot the T-Shirt Launcher: After some Mini-Hoosier Hype Crew training, you’ll be ready to launch t-shirts into the Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium crowd. You’ll be accompanied by a member of the IU Athletics staff as you make your way around the stadium during one of the game’s timeouts. You’ll receive a photo of yourself in action, as well as a special IU Gift bag.

• ‘The Walk’ with Hoosier The Bison*: IU’s new mascot will host his own pre-game ‘Walk’ event, reserved exclusively for children ages 13 and under. Participants will first meet Hoosier The Bison before the start of the Walk, and then accompany him to the end of the official ‘Walk’ to be the final fans that can high-five Hoosier players before they enter the stadium.”

• Videoboard Announcements: Hoosier fans can purchase a gameday videoboard shoutout to celebrate friends and family during an IU Football game! Display your message on the Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium’s south end zone videoboard for birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, and more.

B-Town Boulevard
It will once again be a festival-like atmosphere on the lawn south of Memorial Stadium as the area is transformed into 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. It features a concert stage with live bands; food trucks; an outdoor bar; family-friendly games; and other IU-related attractions. A new addition in 2025 is the arrival of Buffalouie’s, which will be selling its famous wings to hungry Hoosiers either in traditional-size orders or in bulk for tailgating.  While the area features plenty of pay-as-you-go food truck options, visitors can also consider purchasing a special Food Package Ticket that gives them access to a special Gameday menu of food and drink.

‘The Walk’ Time Has Changed
Indiana Football’s pre-game tradition, ‘The Walk,’ will now take place two hours and 25 minutes before kickoff, a 10-minute change from past years. On Saturday, fans can look forward to it beginning at 12:05 p.m. for the season opener. Indiana Football players, coaches, and the spirit squad will once again congregate on the west side of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall and then march through the parking lot and into Memorial Stadium. This long-standing tradition produces a festive atmosphere and provides fans a chance to wish the team well before the game.

New Pre-Purchase On-Campus Auxiliary Parking Options
While all IU Athletics complex parking is sold out for the 2025 season, there are a series of convenient, on-campus parking opportunities that are all within one mile of Memorial Stadium that fans can now purchase in advance for $50/game. We anticipate these parking opportunities will sellout in advance of the season as well.

Please Note: Only single-game ticket buyers are eligible to pre-purchase a single-game parking pass. Single-game parking is not available for purchase without the purchase of a game ticket. When purchasing your single-game ticket, you will be given the opportunity to pre-purchase parking at one of these on-campus paid parking locations:

In addition to these paid parking options, the Poplars Garage (415 East 6th Street, 1.4 miles to Memorial Stadium) and Henderson Garage (301 South Indiana Avenue, 1.6 miles to Memorial Stadium) offer free gameday parking for fans. Both lots offer parking on a first-come, first-served basis on gamedays. Space(s) in these lots cannot be reserved in advance.

Rally Towels
Individually designed rally towels will be distributed to all Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium gameday visitors throughout the 2025 season. The rally towels were an enormous hit after making their debut midway through the 2024 season, and they’re back for 2025. Each game towel will have its own special twist unique to that day’s game.

East Side Club 
This new premium seating and gameday experience space is officially open for the 2025 season. East Side Club ticket holders will enjoy a premier seat location between the 35-yard lines and new mesh seatbacks, along with the opportunity to request to upgrade their ticket to include access to a dedicated indoor lounge that features complimentary drinks and snacks as well as a cash bar.

Corner Suites
This season will also feature the debut of two new Memorial Stadium Corner Suites in the northwest and southwest corners of the stadium. Located where the stadium’s old ‘flower gardens’ were, these new suites offer spacious seating and edge-of-the-field viewing opportunities for suite visitors. Both suites have already been purchased for the duration of the 2025 season.

Special Events Set for Week Two
IU Football will host Youth Sports Day and Hoosier Bison Buddies Club Day on Sept. 6 in conjunction with the Kennesaw State game. Youth Sports Day is open to children ages 5-12 and will feature a youth runout on the Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium prior to the game. The Hoosier Bison Buddies Club, meanwhile, is IU’s new, rebranded, kids club. Like the Youth Sports Clinic participants, Bison Buddies Club members will be invited to the field as well during the pre-game to run onto the field. Bison Buddies Club members are invited to a special breakfast on gameday with Hoosier The Bison and friends.