Indiana Hoosiers Tailgate

Indiana Hoosier Football presents a very convenient for its tailgaters. Memorial Stadium is basically surrounded by one giant parking lot. While most tailgating areas around the country are pleasantly interrupted by trees, hills, and confined boundaries, tailgating here presents a sea of open trunks, tent canopies, and dropped tailgates. It isn't quite the sea of crimson that you may expect from the home crowd, as there is typically a decent visiting crowd. I'm not sure whether the visiting fan base is attracted by the picturesque limestone campus or by the probability of a road win (alhtough the late Coach "Hep" helped sour those expectations through an IU Football cultural transformation).

Hail Old IU / Defend the Rock / We Beleive Play 13
Bloomington Indiana is no more than a 1.5 hour drive south of Indianapolis and is secluded as an island of limestone buildings and crimson clad students. You can get your tailgating supplies and beverages at any of the local Big Red Liquors. Getting to the area and to the stadium is quite easy and traffic is pretty manageable. You dont have to get up terribly early or have to rush out to secure your spot, as there are many public lots for $10 that are within a stones throw from the stadium. Just east of the stadium is the Assembly Hall basketball complex which also houses many basketball and a few football awards. This is also where the players walk occurs which is a recent favorite among the local fan base.

The tailgate cuisine includes typical midwestern fare including bratwurst and corn husks on the grill. Student activity seems confined to the student housing around the stadium, where the parking lot is more popular among the visiting team fans and the optimistic IU alumni and local fan base. The stadium is a very quick 5 minute walk from the parking lot, and you can leave your spot 20 minutes before kickoff to get through the efficient crowd and stadium structure. If your still hungry during the game, in addition to the standard stadium menu, you can get yourself a turkey leg.

The late Coach Hep had spent the last few years changing the culture and jump-starting the enthusiasm for IU football among the fan base and community. Slogans like "Defend the Rock" (a piece of limestone structure preserved on the field), and "We Beleive - Play 13" (signalling their drive to get back to the post-season bowl scene) are apparent from banner signage to the retired ushers. Coach Hep's strategy seems to have worked, as the game atmosphere was very festive thanks to an enthusiastic IU fan base and large student section between the 30 yard line. I was very impressed with the excitement generated even though the football teams history may not warrant it. The first down march was pretty entertaining, and the 'IU Marching Hundred' band did a good job of pumping up the crowd. Bloomington is the home of the famous John Cougar Mellancamp, so the odd R-O-C-K in the USA or Authority Song was blasted appropriately.



After the game, if you want to continue to watch the rest of the day's football action, Kilroys Sports Bar offers 4 big screen TVs and many smaller ones, capturing all the games, offering typical bar fare. For the IU student experience, hit Nick's English Hut, which is a local favorite, but doesn't have the same game viewing options. Buffalo Wild Wings is also there as an always reliable option. Colorado Steakhouse and the U-Club offer the IU football experience with all local memorabilia and history. There are limited hotel options in Bloomington, so if it is a popular game or senior day/parents weekend, be sure to book early. If hotels are all booked up, you can stay in Indianapolis, or on the southern Interstate ring of I-465. Be sure at somepoint to find some daylight and walk around the campus, which is one of the nicest campus settings in the country.