Indiana football has had no trouble filling Memorial Stadium through three games, but Curt Cignetti is ready to see whether the crowd can do more than just show up.
The No. 4 Hoosiers are 3-0 and have outscored their first three opponents 145-16, yet Cignetti noticed what happened again during Saturday’s 38-0 win over Western Kentucky: by the time Indiana emerged from the tunnel for the second half, plenty of seats were already empty.
That wasn’t a one-off.
“Need to have a great crowd that stays the whole game,” Cignetti said.
Since arriving in Bloomington, Cignetti has paid close attention to the atmosphere around Indiana football. Early on, he wrote to students and urged them to set aside studying and stay for all four quarters, hoping to make Memorial Stadium a tougher place for opponents. He also pushed the athletic department to find ways to keep fans involved, which eventually led to the rally towels that have become a popular part of the game-day scene.
On Monday, Cignetti effectively gave fans a pass for the first three weeks. But with Big Ten play about to begin, that leniency is over.
“We've played our three sauna games in the afternoon,” Cignetti said. “I can understand having to leave in the second half.
Particularly when the game's out of hand and it's 152 on the turf. It's hard to coach in those games too.”
Now the challenge gets bigger. Indiana has yet to trail this season, but Cignetti is expecting a much stiffer test from Northwestern, which is 2-0 and coming off its biggest win over a power conference opponent since 2020.
“Northwestern's really impressive football team,” Cignetti said. “Coach Braun has done a great job with that program.
He's a really smart, detailed, thorough guy. And it shows up on tape, very impressive in all three phases.
And they do the things you gotta do to win football games.”
The weather, at least, should help.
“This will be low 70 weather this week and it'll be a nice, cool football kind of night in Bloomington,” Cignetti said. “We need to have a great crowd.”
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Indiana's Rise Is Creating A Memorial Stadium Problem Fans Can See
Indianas 38-0 win over Western Kentucky kept the No. 9 Hoosiers rolling to 3-0 and pushed their winning streak to 19 games, a run that has turned every Saturday at Memorial Stadium into something closer to a destination event than a routine college football date. On the field, the product has been easy to admire. In the stands, though, the surge in interest is making some of the stadiums long-standing limitations harder to ignore.
There was plenty to like about the atmosphere and the overall fan experience, but the basics can still test patience when the crowd keeps growing. Concessions lines and bathroom access stood out as the most obvious pressure points, the kind of issues that become more noticeable as Indiana keeps drawing bigger crowds and bigger expectations. With more big games ahead and ongoing stadium improvements in the mix, Memorial Stadiums next challenge may be keeping pace with the programs rise. [Read more 🡒]
Curt Cignetti Sends A Clear Message Before Indiana's Big Ten Opener
Curt Cignetti used his weekly press conference to shift the conversation toward what comes next, with Indiana set to open Big Ten play against Northwestern after a successful non-conference stretch. The Hoosiers have built some momentum early, and Cignetti made it clear the focus inside the program is now on the conference schedule and the kind of week-to-week challenge that comes with it.
Cignetti also took aim at the noise around quarterback Josh Hoover, saying the scrutiny has been unfair given how well Hoover has played through the first three games. And in a more unusual appeal, the Indiana coach asked fans to stay in their seats for the full game, a reminder that the atmosphere around a league opener can matter just as much as what happens on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Showed How Serious It Is About Fixing The Pass Rush
Indiana is still early in its latest pass-rush search, but the latest scholarship offer makes the priority pretty clear. Fred Ntumba, an edge defender from Antioch High School in Tennessee, is the kind of prospect the Hoosiers have been targeting as they try to add more punch to a defensive front that needs more speed, length and disruption. His size, athleticism and natural rushing ability fit the profile Indiana wants as it keeps building out the line of scrimmage.
For a staff trying to deepen the defense and hold up better in the Big Ten, the appeal is straightforward: Ntumba brings the physical tools and effort level coaches covet, and they see him as someone who could grow into an important piece. Offers like this are part of the broader push to make the pass rush less of a weakness and more of a weapon, though the real test now is whether Indiana can turn that interest into momentum with a prospect it clearly values. [Read more 🡒]