Crimson Guard brings IU home, road advantage

IU men’s basketball coach Tom Crean has posted 28 wins in his short tenure with the Hoosiers. Of those wins, 25 have come on Branch McCracken Court at Assembly Hall.  

“The crowd is a difference maker,” IU Athletic Director Fred Glass said. “We don’t beat Illinois or Minnesota without the students and our fans. If those games are on the road, it’s tough to win.”

A trending topic in Bloomington has been the new configuration of student seating at Assembly Hall known as “The Crimson Guard.” It is now an official student organization seeking to make IU’s home court advantage one of the toughest in the nation.

With the one-sided success IU has had at home, the Crimson Guard looked to bring some of the Assembly Hall magic on the road during the weekend at Ohio State. A total of 45 IU students made the first-ever Crimson Guard road game in Columbus, Ohio, to support the Hoosiers.  

“It was a great experience even though we got blasted (by Ohio State, 82-61),”
Crimson Guard president Jeff Roberts said. “I think everyone that made the trip would do it again if given the opportunity. Now that the Crimson Guard is more experienced, we hope to make at least two trips next year, if not more.”

As of now, students get a random allotment of tickets in the actual student section, while others are placed in different areas of Assembly Hall.

Some of these student section tickets are on a general admission, first come, first serve basis. This gives the most passionate fans an opportunity to arrive early and get the seats closest to the floor.

It was a change Roberts said he welcomed with open arms.

“I was excited about the change to GA this season because it’s a start to a different seating format for basketball,” Roberts said.

Glass said the Crimson Guard is about more than just making noise and they have a sense for when the team needs a lift.

“(The fans) go crazy for Will Sheehey’s SportsCenter slam, and they cheer when we need a pick-up after two straight turnovers,” Glass said. “Our sophisticated students are the reason why our record is much better at home.”

The last victory away from Assembly Hall came at Penn State on Jan. 21, 2010, but Glass said the atmosphere has not gone away with the squad’s recent struggles.

“I think the atmosphere is driven by the student engagement, which is unbelievable,” Glass said. “We won a championship my senior year here under (Bob) Knight, and the fans are just as excited now as they were then.”