Fred Glass talks IU football student section, 'Big Jake'

Each week, IU Athletic Director Fred Glass will do a brief Q&A with the IDS about the gameday experience at Memorial Stadium. This week, he talks about the support of the students and the back story of the new cannon, Big Jake.

IDS Why do you think the students have shown up more this season? What has made the difference?

GLASS Well, that’s a great question and I’m not sure I know the answer to that. I think part of it is the cumulative effect of the improvements we’ve made in the gameday experience around the stadium and in the stands, as well as on the field. And I think part of it is the enthusiasm for this particular team, notwithstanding the setback against Navy.

The guys fought to the end, were right in there against a very high quality opponent. And then, I think a lot of it is the way Coach Wilson and this team have embraced the students. They wade into the tailgate fields, they engage with the students.

The cheerleaders are going up into the stands. The superfans from the Student Athletic Board are engaging the fans, and the players are turning around and doing the third down chomp with them.

I think the team has sort of captured their imaginations, and students have responded, and it’s fantastic.

IDS When was the last time you saw the student section as full as it was against Navy?

GLASS Boy, I’m not sure I ever remember it being as full as it was against Navy. And you know it was great against Indiana State, too.

All those sections were brimming all the way up to the top, and they were there at kickoff. It’s a fantastic turnout by the students, incredible support and a real strong number of them stayed until the end.

The response of students is really gratifying to both me and I know Coach Wilson is excited about it, too.

IDS What has the reaction been to the Thursday pep rallies and Friday flash mobs?

GLASS They’ve both been great. I’ve been at one of the two flash mobs, and it’s really fun because we just kind of pop up and the kids are like, ‘What is going on here?’ And I like to try to shoot students who are on their bicycles or aren’t paying attention. I get to use the T-shirt gun and have fun with that. The response has been real positive. Nobody is blowing us off. Everybody is engaged.

Maybe football is not their thing, there’s lots of statements that they’re going to the game. The spirit patrols have been awesome.

The band and the cheerleaders are going down to Kirkwood and Malibu Grill, going in and playing music, interacting with the fans, especially students.

We’ve gotten a really, really positive response from that as well.

IDS How exactly was Big Jake acquired, and what’s the story behind it?

GLASS Back in the day, and this was even after I was a student, so it doesn’t go as far back as that, but they had a small cannon that was real loud — much louder than the size would indicate.

They shot if off after scores. We were trying to think about different ways to have fun additions to the gameday experience, and I thought, “Why don’t we bring back the cannon? Let’s bring back a big ‘ol cannon.”

We interacted with the ROTC and IU, and we’ve already been working with them on being involved in the flag ceremony and so forth, and they were really excited about it. They, on their own, pursued and secured use of that cannon, which, my understanding, is sort of a World War II, Korean War vintage cannon.

They named it ‘Big Jake’ after a guy named Jacob. He was like the first military science teacher at IU back before the civil war. He taught the first class outside the core curriculum and then he entered the Civil War as a private, and through battle field promotions ended up being a Brigadier General, which is a ridiculous achievement.

Given his connection to IU and the ROTC, the guys named the cannon after him.

We’re going to get the ordinance a little louder. Post 9/11, it’s harder and harder to get a really loud ordinance so you can have a big, gigantic blast. The ROTC guys are working on that. I’m confident that that thing is going to keep getting louder.

IDS With all the dignitaries in town for the Navy game, what did they have to say about Memorial Stadium?

GLASS I talked to both the Secretary of the Navy and the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, and while they didn’t mention anything about Memorial Stadium directly to me, each of them said they had never been received better in any away venue as they had been at Indiana.

The fans were terrific. The ushers were great. The team was great. The accommodations were great.

The coach of Navy did tell Kevin, Kevin shared this with me, he said, “Kevin, we’ve been all over the country playing in really quality stadiums against really quality opponents, and nobody has a better stadium or set up than you guys do.”

That’s all encouraging to hear. I wish we would’ve been just a little bit less good hosts by leaving them with a loss.

But whether it’s Navy or someone else, we do try to be good hosts to the teams that come in and the fans that come in to cheer them on.

IDS Kevin Knight asks: Will there be a flyover at Memorial Stadium this year?

GLASS We did last year. I’m a big fan of flyovers, and so I would say, ‘Stay tuned.’

IDS Larry Martin asks: Why have the Marching Hundred shows not been available on YouTube?

GLASS I don’t know the answer to that question. They should be. The Marching Hundred has been an awesome partner in all the things that we’re doing with the gameday experience.

They’re a terrific band and would love for that to be on YouTube.

Maybe I’ll raise that with Colonel David Woodley, the leader of the Marching Hundred.

­— robhowar@indiana.edu
Follow columnist Robby Howard on Twitter @robbyhoward1.