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Indiana football enters phase two of prep work as a critical summer approaches

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2 months ago

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Indiana Head Coach Tom Allen instructs his team during Indiana football's Spring Football Saturday event at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, April 15, 2023.(Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times-USA TODAY NETWORK)

The first phase of the 2023 season for the Indiana football has come and gone. Wrapping up spring practice with its version of a spring game over the weekend, Indiana now heads into a critical summer.

With four months of preparation before taking the field on Sept. 2 against Ohio State, there is optimism that Indiana will return back to what it was a few years ago. But with that comes hard work and a summer that needs to be the best yet for Tom Allen and his program.

“This chapter (spring practice) is done, and now moving into the best summer we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Allen said on Saturday. “Everybody has to elevate and continue to work, and that’s what we need to do as a staff, our strength staff, who do a tremendous job of taking the baton now and finishing strong during the spring.”

The next month and a half will serve as the building blocks for the rest of the offseason.

With the focus now on strength training before players arrive back for summer practice in June, Allen knows it’s a critical time period where he needs the players to take responsibility and act like ‘pros’.

“We talk about May mattering even though it’s a time away for them,” Allen said. “They have to still continue to train and work like a professional because that’s what the pros have to do when their time is away. Be able to have a great plan and to come back to work on June 1st. It’s a big part of our next step, and that all will be the focus right now.

“To me it’s just about building the toughness to be able to finish the conditioning that you trust. They’ve given us OTAs now that we’re able to do. That continues to kind of expand in our roles with those, and so there’s going to be six of those in the month of June with our full staff, which is unprecedented in the past. So that allows you to be able to really prepare them in the month of June more than we ever have in the past. So that to me is a big, big deal.”

In 2019 and 2020, Indiana was 14-7. The past two seasons have resulted in just a 6-18 record.

A large reason for that was due to the lack of attention to detail and lack of mental and physical toughness. ‘Toughness’ — in both aspects — is the messaging Allen and the Indiana football staff are focused on portraying to the team.

“I feel like we made progress. I really wanted to develop our toughness as a team. That’s a huge priority,” Allen mentioned. “… It’s all going to be fourth quarter driven. It’s all going to be how we’re going to finish in the fourth quarter from a physical perspective. To be able to dominate your opponent in that situation. Win those third downs, win those critical downs. And you have to have an expectation that I don’t get tired. They’re the ones that get tired. That has to be built, and that’s over the summertime.”

So while the team won’t take the field for a true game until September, the next few weeks will ultimately prove to Allen and his staff how good this Indiana football team can be this season.

“It’s been a very, very positive spring,” Allen said. “Excited about where we’re at. Just have a lot of work ahead of us.”

SEE ALSO: Quick Hitters: Storylines, notes, key quotes from Indiana Football ‘Spring Football Saturday’

Follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. 

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Key Indiana football transfer addition tabbed to 2023 All-Transfer Team

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2 days ago

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June 2, 2023

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Key Indiana football transfer Andre Carter was named to the 2023 All-Transfer Team. (Indiana Athletics)

The Indiana football program came into the offseason with a major point of emphasis on the transfer portal.

In total, it landed 21 transfer commitments — both in the early signing period and then throughout this summer.

The Hoosiers lost a lot of key pieces from last year’s roster and a lot of veterans who had been with the program as multi-year starters. So, getting impact transfers was something Indiana needed desperately.

247Sports put together its 2023 All-Transfer Team for this offseason and one key Indiana football transfer landed on the list — Andre Carter.

“One of two former Western Michigan defensive linemen on the all-transfer portal team, Carter played 714 snaps in 2022, racking up 13.5 TFL and seven sacks, plus two forced fumbles and a nice impact in the passing game, with three deflections and an interception,” Brad Crawford wrote. “No. 101 nationally in defensive yards per play a year ago, the Hoosiers need all the help they can get.”

Carter arrives in Bloomington as one of the better transfers around the country. He was listed as the No. 21 overall transfer this offseason.

Last season, he totaled 70 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception.

Carter is 6-foot-5 and 273 pounds and has played every defensive line position this spring with Indiana. His physical stature stands out immediately.

“He is the biggest, most physical one we’ve had here since I’ve been here. Very, very disruptive,” IU head coach Tom Allen said.

In 47 career games at Western Michigan, he has totaled 134 tackles, 11 sacks and six forced fumbles.

SEE ALSO: Indiana football incoming transfer DeQuece Carter among highest rated returning WRs in Big Ten

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. 

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Indiana football set to add field-level premium seats in Memorial Stadium

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3 days ago

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June 1, 2023

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Indiana football is set to unveil field-level premium seating in Memorial Stadium this season for all home games. (Indiana Athletics)

The Indiana football program has unveiled a new experience at Memorial Stadium. Set to roll out this season, Indiana will provide premium suites for game-day experiences.

Memorial Stadium will have  eight field level suites on the stadium’s south end behind the end zone.

Each suite costs $20,000/season, which includes 16 tickets to each of IU’s home games. Pricing for a single-game suite is TBD.

Below is the full release from the Indiana football program.

Bloomington, Ind. – Hoosier Football fans now have the chance to enjoy a premium suite experience at Memorial Stadium from field level.

Beginning this fall, Memorial Stadium will feature eight field level suites on the stadium’s south end located immediately behind the end zone. Each suite includes spacious, sectional furniture seating; a mounted large screen television on the suite’s awning; a drink rail with seating facing the field; high barstool seats to provide additional seating space. Other special amenities include an all-you-can-eat hospitality buffet; domestic, craft beer, and wine options; a personal suite attendant; and a unique player vantage point from field level.

Each suite costs $20,000/season, which includes 16 tickets to each of IU’s home games beginning with the Sept. 2 opener against Ohio State. Pricing for a single-game suite is TBD.

The new premium suite experience is the result of a new partnership between IU Athletics and REVELXP. REVELXP partners with sports and entertainment brands across the U.S. to provide fans with an elevated experience on game days. To date, REVELXP has partnerships with nearly 100 collegiate and professional properties nationwide. Among its active partnerships are Auburn, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas, Texas A&M, USC, and the College Football Playoff.

“We continue to look for ways to enhance and expand the game-day experience alternatives for Hoosier football fans, so we are excited to offer this new premium seating opportunity beginning this fall,” said IU Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Dolson. “REVELXP has a proven track record of providing the highest level of service and experiences at a wide array of events, college football included.  I expect this to be a very enticing opportunity for our fanbase for not only this year, but for years to come.”

SEE ALSO: Indiana football opens 2023 season against Ohio State with primetime afternoon CBS time slot

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. 

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Indiana football opens 2023 season against Ohio State with primetime afternoon CBS time slot

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4 days ago

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May 31, 2023

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The Indiana football program will open the 2023 season at home against Ohio State at 3:30 pm on CBS on Sept. 2. (Indiana Athletics)

The Big Ten has announced game times and tv designations for the first three weekends of the 2023 season. That includes a prime afternoon time slot for the Indiana football program in its season opener.

On Saturday Sept. 2, Indiana will open the season at home against Ohio State at 3:30 pm on CBS.

This is the first year of the Big Ten’s new television contract which includes NBC and CBS tv designations.

Below is the full release from the Big Ten.

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced times and television networks on Wednesday (May 31) for the first three weekends of the 2023 season along with the time for the Indiana football homecoming game.

The conference office announced the following for the Hoosiers:

Saturday, Sept. 2 | Ohio State at Indiana | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
Friday, Sept. 8 | Indiana State at Indiana | 7pm or 8 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Saturday, Sept. 16 | Louisville vs. Indiana | Noon | Big Ten Network
Saturday, Oct. 21 | Rutgers at Indiana | Noon

The 2023 season marks the first season with new broadcast partners to distribute the conference’s television broadcasts. Games will be distributed to fans across broadcast, cable and direct-to-consumer platforms on CBS, FOX and NBC, along with the Big Ten Network and FS1. NBCUniversal’s direct-to-consumer platform, Peacock, will also carry Big Ten games for the first time.

All games televised on NBC will also be available for streaming on Peacock. Games exclusive to Peacock will only be available on that platform.

SEE ALSO: Indiana football enters phase two of prep work as a critical summer approaches

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. 

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