In connection with the kickoff of the 2022 football season, IU Athletics has announced several updates to the gameday experience at Memorial Stadium.
Of particular note, a new LED lighting system will makes it debut on Friday night when the Hoosiers face Illinois in Bloomington.
The full release from IU Athletics follows.
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Indiana Football fans can expect to see plenty of improvements in and around Memorial Stadium when the 2022 season kicks off Friday, Sept. 2, at 8 p.m. against Illinois. From new LED stadium lights to new merchandise to a new family friendly area, a series of changes have been made that Hoosiers fans can look forward to this fall.
“As soon as the 2021 football season ended, we immediately began looking at ways to improve the gameday atmosphere and experience for our Hoosier fans who have been turning out in great numbers to support Coach Tom Allen and our program,” said IU Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Dolson. “Some of these efforts are big, such as the new lighting system and the transition to cashless payments. Others are more subtle. But all of them have been done with the goal of making our fans’ trip to Memorial Stadium even better.”
New Lights
The biggest change will be particularly noticeable for the opener, since it will be played under the lights. IU installed a new Musco LED lighting system in Memorial Stadium earlier this month, replacing the old system that was originally installed in the mid-1980s. At a cost of slightly more than $2 million, the state-of-the-art LED system will not only maximize the viewing experience for both stadium and television viewers, but the new LED system will also offer significant energy savings to the department as well.
Cashless Payments
Football fans should also plan ahead so they can take advantage of IU’s new cashless payment set-up at all IU Athletics home sporting events. To create more points of sale and shorten fans’ wait times, IU Athletics is no longer accepting cash at ticket booths, concessions areas, and merchandise locations at its home events. All major credit cards will be accepted, and Apple Pay and Google Pay will also be an accepted means of purchase for concessions and merchandise. The only exception to the cashless payment change is for parking; for fans who don’t pre-purchase their gameday parking (Purchase Parking Here), all IU Athletics surface lots and grass lots are cash only.
IU Team Store Merchandise
There will be multiple changes for fans of all ages who are looking for IU-licensed merchandise. IU Athletics recently partnered with Legends Global Merchandise for its apparel needs, and in doing so significantly enhanced its selections as well as its storefront, gameday and on-line presence. Hoosier fans will now be able to find great IU merchandise at six IU Team Store locations on gamedays – five will be in and around Memorial Stadium, and the sixth is inside the west doors of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Those same great selections and more can also be found on-line HERE.
The Hoosier Red Zone
Whether it’s prior to the start of the game or at halftime, the north end zone concourse of Memorial Stadium will be a great area for Hoosier fans to congregate. This area – the newly-branded “Hoosier Red Zone” – comes complete with a host of fun opportunities and activities for Hoosier fans and families. The area has a dedicated concessions area, including a multitude of food and beer selections. There are also a series of televisions that will allow fans to catch up on the other great football action. Meanwhile, families can treat their kids to a series of stations that offer a variety of activities, ranging from face painting to a state-of-the-art 360-degree photo booth. Fans can also sign up for a chance at a free VIP experience to allow a small group (2-6) a chance to go on the field during pregame for photos and to watch player warm-ups.
QR Codes/Guest Services
When Hoosier fans are in and around Memorial Stadium, they need to look no farther than the nearest barricade if they have a question regarding their gameday experience. All Memorial Stadium area barricades now feature a QR code that can be scanned to access the Hoosier Gameday Guide. This guide will provide answers to the most common questions regarding football gamedays, ranging from traffic patterns to restroom locations to how to download the IU Hoosiers App. IU Athletics’ Guest Services staff will also be on hand to answer questions as well. The Guest Services location has relocated to the southeast concourse to provide easier access to fans.
Gear Up Fridays
IU President Pamela Whitten has led the charge to designate every Friday as “Gear Up Fridays” where all Indiana University students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to wear Indiana University apparel. This university-wide effort will get underway this Friday, Sept. 2.
Beer Sponsorship
Earlier this summer, IU Athletics announced a new partnership with Molson Coors Beverage Company that makes Coors Light the exclusive domestic beer sponsor of IU Athletics beginning this year. Fans can expect to see more signage around Memorial Stadium recognizing this new multi-year partnership, which was secured by IU Athletics multi-media rights holder LEARFIELD. Coors Light will be among the beer selections available to Hoosier fans, along with others like those from Bloomington-based Upland Brewing Company. Upland recently entered into a multi-year partnership with IU Athletics as well and is now the official craft beer sponsor of IU Athletics.
Student Season Ticket Sales
After enjoying the program’s best single-season attendance totals in 32 years in 2021, Hoosier fans can expect more great turnouts and atmospheres in 2022. Entering the last few days before the opener, IU student season ticket purchases have eclipsed 14,000, the most since 2013.
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