IU expecting around 47,000 for first noon kickoff of 2022 season

Dustin Dopirak, The Herald-Times
·4 min read
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An Indiana cheerleader is lifted high in front of a big crowd Oct. 16, 2021, during the Indiana-Michigan State football game at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.

Last week was the first football Saturday in Bloomington in 2022, but Indiana hopes this will be the first normal football Saturday of the season.

Last weekend, the Hoosiers late kickoff was made even later by torrential rain that came through the north side of town in the early evening. The paid attendance didn't suffer as the Hoosiers claimed a figure of 46,785, but the stands weren't close to full outside of the hearty student section. Indiana's play was clearly affected as well as they fell behind 10-0 in the first half before scoring five straight touchdowns to start the second half in better conditions in a 35-22 win over Idaho.

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This week, Indiana (2-0) doesn't expect any such issues as they kickoff at noon against Western Kentucky (2-0) with sunny conditions and temperatures expected to be in the mid-80s. According to associate athletic director Jeremy Gray, the Hoosiers are preparing to draw their biggest crowd, expecting the figure to go above 47,000 at Memorial Stadium with its 52,929 capacity. The Hoosiers still aren't in conference play, but they've been getting robust student crowds, and the combination of good weather and an early start has helped sales.

Indiana also expects the Big Ten Network's on-site pre-game show B1G Tailgate to serve as a draw. The show is based in-studio in Chicago with host Dave Revsine and analysts Howard Griffith and Gerry DiNardo, but host Mike Hall and analysts Brock Vereen and Anthony Herren travel to a different site each week for analysis and interviews, and they will be in Indiana on Saturday. The show begins at 10 a.m. and the stage will be just outside of Mellencamp Pavilion.

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With the combination of the early kickoff and the expected sizable crowd, IU is recommending fans arrive as early as they can. An early kickoff usually means a smaller window of travel for fans and IU expects there to be significant traffic coming south from Indianapolis in the morning. Parking lots and tailgate fields will open at 7 a.m. to accommodate early arrivals.

Promotions and events associated with the game follow.

  • There will be a pre-game youth sports clinic from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the football practice field. USA Football will play a part in executing the clinic. The athletes who take part will get to run out on the field during pre-game.

  • It is also Youth Cheerleader Day. Youth cheerleader squads will help out with the halftime show.

  • Indiana's men's swimming and diving team will be honored for its 2022 Big Ten championship on the field between the first and second quarter.

  • Z.G. Clevenger Award winners Randy Wittman and Joe Huff, Leanne Grotke Award winners Linda Batdorf and Terri Fancher and Bill Orwig Award winner Kurt Zorn will be honored at the beginning of halftime. Wittman is the 15th all-time leading scorer in IU basketball history and was part of the 1981 national championship team. Huff was an outside linebacker/defensive end that helped IU to the Peach Bowl in 1987 and a win in the Liberty Bowl in 1988. Batdorf played basketball and golf was part of the women's basketball team that reached the Elite 8 of the AIAW national tournament in 1972. Fancher also played basketball and was part of the AIAW Final Four team in 1973. Zorn is currently the associate vice provost for undergraduate education at IU and was Indiana's faculty athletics representative from 2011-22.

  • The honorary captains will be patients from Riley Children's Hospital. IU coach Tom Allen will greet them before the game.

  • The U.S. Army Veteran of the Game is Tom Cook. He's a 1948 graduate who earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart in World War II and took part in the Battle of the Bulge. He will be honored during the third media timeout in the second quarter.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: IU expecting 47,000 for Saturday's noon kickoff with Western Kentucky