Be it for the allure of tailgating or the love of the game, Indiana Athletics often draws big crowds and boasts filled-out student sections. While the Hoosiers are nationally known for basketball — both men’s and women’s — the premise applies to other sports.
And there is no shortage of storylines and games to watch this fall.
Indiana football is set to begin its first season under new head coach Curt Cignetti on Aug. 31, hosting Florida International University inside Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers haven’t played in a bowl game since the 2020 season but are targeting a step forward with Cignetti, who compiled a record of 52-9 across five seasons at James Madison University.
With eight home games in Cignetti’s debut campaign, there are several options for parents to attend. Indiana welcomes both of last year’s national championship finalists, with Washington visiting Oct. 26 and Michigan coming Nov. 9.
The Hoosiers host Nebraska on Homecoming, which is set for Oct. 19, and will face archrival Purdue in the season finale Nov. 30, where the two sides compete for the Old Oaken Bucket.
If football isn’t your sport, the fall presents many other options.
Indiana men’s soccer’s home opener is Aug. 29 at Bill Armstrong Stadium, when the University of Notre Dame ventures to Bloomington for a rematch of last season’s Elite Eight thriller. The Fighting Irish took a victory on penalty kicks, 1-1 (5-4 penalties), to end the Hoosiers’ season.
The 2023 Big Ten Championship-winning men’s soccer team also plays during Homecoming, battling Michigan State on Oct. 18.
Indiana women’s soccer is fresh off a resurgent 2023 season in which it made the NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade. The Hoosiers begin the season at home Aug. 3, facing the University of Illinois Chicago. Their first home game once the school year starts is against Wright State University on Aug. 29. The squad takes on Illinois on Oct. 17, the Thursday of Homecoming week.
The Hoosiers’ volleyball schedule hasn’t yet been released, but Wilkinson Hall presents an enjoyable viewing experience with an enthusiastic student section. Indiana went 21-12 last season, its best record since going 23-12 in 2010, and beat Purdue for the first time in 11 years.
Indiana men’s and women’s basketball haven’t finalized schedules for the fall, but each team’s respective season usually tips off with exhibitions during the final week of October and first week of November.
Hoosier Hysteria, where the players and coaches on each squad are introduced before several skills competitions take place, has occurred during Homecoming the past two years. No date has been confirmed for the 2024 edition.
Field hockey and club hockey are two other sports played during the fall, the latter of which won the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championship this past season.
Tickets can be purchased on IUHoosiers.com. For students, football/men’s basketball ticket combinations cost $380, while standalone football season tickets cost $160. For all other sports, IU students are granted free admission upon showing their CrimsonCard. Parents are required to pay, and while prices vary, tickets are rarely expensive — single-game men’s soccer tickets cost $10 per adult.
This article is part of the 2024 Parent Survival Guide, an IDS special publication.
