Glass evaluates IU

On Wednesday, IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass discussed several topics surrounding IU athletics.

Indiana Daily Student How big of a game is IU’s football team playing in this weekend?

Fred Glass I think it’s almost impossible to overstate how big of a deal it would be if we won. We’d have three Big Ten wins in a row and three Big Ten wins in a season, all of which hasn’t happened in a long, long time.

The actual case that we would be leading our division to be in the championship game in Indianapolis and be one step away from the Rose Bowl. I mean, that’s crazy. We’ve been to the Rose Bowl only once in the entire history of our school.

I’m working real hard this week to make sure students are aware of all that and make it a part of their college experience to come to this gigantic football game.

IDS What message would you go ahead and send to students who typically might not make it out to Memorial Stadium?

FG I can’t tell you how many kids told me they were at the IU-Kentucky basketball game and that it is going to be one of their greatest memories from their time as a college student here. It was a big deal, and it was unbelievable. Crazy stuff happened. I think this football game could be like that.

I’m hoping that there are 52,000 people in here and that people are going crazy. I would just encourage students to suck it up, drink a Red Bull, sleep in and don’t plan a nap during the game. My biggest statement to the students would be to not miss out on what can be a really cool part of their college experience. They can always drink cocktails and take a nap next week when we’re at Penn State. This weekend, come to the game. Have fun, come with your buddies, suck it up and be able to tell your spouse and your kids that you were there when Indiana football turned around.

IDS Earlier this season, a journalist wrote a controversial piece about you giving IU Coach Kevin Wilson a “vote of confidence.” Looking back at it now, what is your reaction to that?

FG I certainly wasn’t reaching out to give Kevin a vote of confidence, because it’s ridiculous — he doesn’t need one.

I gave him a seven-year contract when I hired him to make sure we send a signal to everybody that we have the right guy, we’re going to stick with him and do this the right way. I think he’s been doing a fabulous job. I’ve been around those kids, and they’re zoned in. I can’t talk specifics about recruiting, but recruiting is heading toward what a lot of analysts say is the best class in Indiana football history.

There’s all kinds of momentum surrounding this program right now.

IDS What is your vision for Indiana football down the line?

FG There’s no reason why we can’t be a team that year-in and year-out actually contends for our division and our conference championship, and every so often break through and represent the conference in the Rose Bowl. We should be doing that on a year-in and year-out basis.

It’s tough to be an Ohio State or Michigan with their 105,000-seat stadiums, and that’s not to say we can’t beat them on a regular basis, but I get that it’s tough to be what they are.

IDS Do you think that a home-and-home series with Louisville in football and basketball would make sense?

FG I think it would make a lot of sense. We’ve had a lot of conversations with them about that, but there’s been some scheduling issues that have not enabled us to move forward right now. I think that it is a natural rivalry, and we’re open to it, but candidly, it’s not high on my priority list right now.

IDS What are your thoughts on the nine-game suspensions of IU basketball players Hanner Mosquera-Perea and Peter Jurkin?

FG I think the current enforcement staff had no choice but to find that we had a secondary violation because it has been the rule forever that if somebody gives money to a booster club, it makes them a booster, and once you’re a booster, you’re always a booster.

The people in charge of enforcing I think had to do that, and I get that. We screwed up and we let that happen. Having said that, I think the rule ‘ought to be changed. I don’t blame the enforcement people — they had to do what they had to do — but I hope that the policy makers would look at that and say maybe we should have some sort of time frame or minimum requirement because punishing for $185 20 years ago I think is absurd.

I think the penalty is too stout, and that is why we are going to appeal, so we’ll see. I’m not emotional about it or anything, but I think we need to appeal because I don’t think it’s right. The penalty is more than it should be, and that’s unfortunate.