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First game as a head coach and I get to do it against the all-time winningest coach in Indiana History. What an amazing privilege and opportunity, can't wait for August 21st!

Coach Peacock truly cared about people and making a lasting difference in their lives. One of the best men I have ever known. He will be missed!

WELCOME BACK, Mr. 9 Time , the legend known as "BUD". Larry 'Bud' Wright has been named the new head coach at SOUTHWOOD !!! LETS GO !!!!!

When I first came to Hancock County in 1998, I went to Mt. Vernon to cover a football scrimmage on a Saturday afternoon. I'm on the sidelines shooting photos - mesmerized by this incredible old-school offense MV was running - and their larger-than-life coach approached me and growls "who are you?" I told him I was the new sportswriter with the local newspaper. He reached out and shook my hand - engulfing it in his gigantic right palm - welcoming me to the community. The first few times we talked, he was very measured with his answers to my questions, but we quickly formed a very good professional relationship, which quickly became a friendship, and those brief interviews became a lot of long conversations about football, education and life. Listening to him tell stories of coaching with Lee Corso in the USFL, bringing the WIng-T to Indiana when nobody had seen it, and his days playing at EHHS and IU, were a lot of fun. We talked often about faith, football, education, family, or anything else. When I decided to pursue a teaching career, our conversations often encompassed teaching philosophy. His football program at MV felt like a family, and I was always welcomed in even though I was a reporter and then a broadcaster, and I became friends not just with Coach P, but with several of his staff members and former players. His DC, Tim Adams (who founded the GID), and I became fast friends and began broadcasting games together when we both moved on professionally - he retiring from coaching, me moving on from newspapers to become a teacher. Another of his former assistants has remained a friend since those days, and we had the great fortune to teach and work together at New Palestine. Prayers to Desa, his children and the extended football family he built. There are no better people I've worked with in my three decades of covering high school sports than Doug Peacock. He was a giant of a person and a giant of a coach. He will be greatly missed.

and now you see the quagmire where is the leaders and stewards of the game...... Mouthpiece I support, yes, the pant police......yea..... let focus on illegal formations and other things of that nature as I know the feedback I get from many guys is the same, wish they could worry more about more important stuff in the 48 min game then knee pads.

*goosebumps* But still 2nd behind the late Jim Nabors:

My latest blog as a retired head football coach that has transitioned into authorship. I feel blessed that forums the Grindirondigest.net allow me to share my blogs. The coaching fraternity is special. Hope you enjoy. RG https://www.ronglodich.com/author-blog/xwe73ge6urrqdzb07kiuriw3hk2xtj

Congratulations Indiana fans.

Here’s one that hits close to home: There have only been 2 athletes in history who have played in both a World Series and the Final Four: Tim Stoddard and Kenny Lofton. Both are from East Chicago Washington High School. And here’s another. To my knowledge, there is only one person who both played against Tim Stoddard and umpired a game Kenny Lofton played in: Me!

The DOE has finally released enrollment data from the fall count day for the 25-26 school year. This year is the second of a two year alignment cycle, so these numbers will be used for realignment this spring to set classes for the 26-27 and 27-28 school years. I am sharing this data to give an idea of the enrollment numbers. Note that there always seems to be a few schools that have slightly different numbers when the IHSAA releases their enrollments for classification in a realignment year. Schools with an * did not report their data to the DOE, so their enrollments are listed as the same number they gave the IHSAA in 2024. I am only listing the schools in order by enrollment and not including any projections for the split between classes. This data also does not reflect any potential success factor changes. Here are the enrollments for the schools that play 11-man football. Rank School Name 2026 Enrollment 1 Carmel 5203 2 Ben Davis 4365 3 North Central (Indpls.) 3664 4 Fishers 3615 5 Avon 3520 6 Franklin Central 3484 7 Penn 3476 8 Brownsburg 3460 9 Hamilton Southeastern 3381 10 Warren Central 3276 11 Pike 3259 12 Noblesville 3186 13 Westfield 3063 14 Center Grove 3043 15 Crown Point 3035 16 Elkhart 2876 17 Lake Central 2840 18 Lawrence North 2777 19 Carroll (Fort Wayne) 2581 20 Lawrence Central 2470 21 Southport 2398 22 Perry Meridian 2397 23 Homestead 2345 24 Zionsville 2314 25 Jeffersonville 2147 26 Harrison (West Lafayette) 2109 27 Whiteland 2105 28 Columbus North 2098 29 Valparaiso 2082 30 Merrillville 2081 31 Fort Wayne Northrop 2069 32 Portage 2038 33 Indianapolis Arsenal Tech 2016 34 Lafayette Jefferson 2008 35 Warsaw 1987 36 Decatur Central 1967 37 Chesterton 1905 38 Castle 1882 39 South Bend Adams 1878 40 Fort Wayne Snider 1854 41 McCutcheon 1823 42 Plainfield 1791 43 New Albany 1755 44 Floyd Central 1752 45 LaPorte 1720 46 Bloomington South 1714 47 Anderson 1693 48 Concord 1688 49 Seymour 1644 50 Goshen 1641 51 Evansville North 1618 52 Hammond Central 1611 53 Franklin Community 1558 54 Mount Vernon (Fortville) 1539 55 Terre Haute South 1502 56 Munster 1474 57 Bloomington North 1445 58 Huntington North 1440 59 Greenfield-Central 1430 60 Fort Wayne South Side 1419 61 Michigan City 1408 62 Terre Haute North 1399 63 Kokomo 1385 64 Pendleton Heights 1379 65 Fort Wayne Wayne 1367 66 Fort Wayne North Side 1320 67 Mooresville 1301 68 Hobart 1292 69 Hammond Morton 1287 70 Evansville Harrison 1283 71 Columbus East 1280 72 Evansville Reitz 1273 73 Richmond 1261 74 Muncie Central 1254 75 Mishawaka 1249 76 South Bend Riley 1249 77 Northridge 1239 78 East Central 1214 79 Greenwood 1207 80 Martinsville 1204 81 New Palestine 1202 82 Indianapolis Crispus Attucks 1199 83 Bedford-North Lawrence 1186 84 Columbia City 1180 85 Indianapolis Shortridge 1166 86 Jennings County 1161 87 Logansport 1123 88 New Haven 1117 89 Indianapolis Cathedral 1109 90 Shelbyville 1077 91 Indianapolis Roncalli 1075 92 Lebanon 1067 93 Gary West Side 1064 94 Jasper 1059 95 East Chicago Central 1054 96 Lowell 1017 97 Silver Creek 1009 98 Highland 1006 99 Evansville Central 999 100 Marion 993 101 Plymouth 992 102 East Noble 987 103 New Prairie 971 104 Kankakee Valley 951 105 DeKalb 940 106 Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger 936 107 South Bend Saint Joseph 922 108 Charlestown 918 109 Danville 903 110 Beech Grove 902 111 Frankfort 896 112 Northview 888 113 Leo 886 114 Boonville 869 115 Connersville 866 116 Hanover Central 859 117 NorthWood 855 118 Yorktown 840 119 Jay County 839 120 Culver Academies* 833 121 Brebeuf Jesuit 827 122 Delta 826 123 Wawasee 813 124 Madison 803 125 Guerin Catholic 799 126 Evansville Bosse 797 127 New Castle 795 128 Indianapolis Bishop Chatard 794 129 Washington 792 130 Mishawaka Marian 783 131 Gibson Southern 776 132 Western 773 133 Edgewood 769 134 Norwell 754 135 West Lafayette 751 136 Hammond Bishop Noll 750 137 Corydon Central 740 138 Fort Wayne Concordia 735 139 Hamilton Heights 734 140 Vincennes Lincoln 717 141 Scottsburg 705 142 Lawrenceburg 697 143 Angola 695 144 South Bend Washington 693 145 Batesville 688 146 Mississinewa 685 147 Crawfordsville 681 148 West Noble 681 149 Evansville Memorial 658 150 Indian Creek 647 151 Griffith 643 152 Calumet 622 153 Heritage Hills 621 154 Fairfield 619 155 Purdue Polytechnic Downtown 617 156 Owen Valley 615 157 South Dearborn 613 158 Twin Lakes 609 159 Indianapolis Washington 607 160 Bellmont 606 161 John Glenn 606 162 Greensburg 602 163 North Harrison 588 164 Mount Vernon (Posey) 586 165 Franklin County 582 166 River Forest 577 167 Speedway 575 168 Heritage 565 169 Tri-West 563 170 Rushville 562 171 Tippecanoe Valley 562 172 Princeton 558 173 Bluffton 548 174 Evansville Mater Dei 546 175 Garrett 540 176 Northwestern 539 177 Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 538 178 Southridge 538 179 Woodlan 538 180 North Montgomery 528 181 Sullivan 526 182 Benton Central 521 183 Western Boone 513 184 Centerville 512 185 Heritage Christian 510 186 Maconaquah 510 187 Cascade 504 188 Eastbrook 502 189 Jimtown 502 190 West Vigo 501 191 Lakeland 498 192 Christel House Manual 495 193 Frankton 492 194 Lapel 492 195 Eastern (Greentown) 490 196 Greencastle 487 197 Southmont 486 198 Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter 483 199 Triton Central 482 200 Oak Hill 480 201 Knox 474 202 Andrean 473 203 Salem 467 204 Brown County 464 205 Peru 462 206 Bremen 460 207 Wabash 457 208 Monrovia 454 209 Rochester 452 210 Brownstown Central 448 211 Tipton 445 212 North Posey 443 213 Providence 442 214 Alexandria 435 215 Boone Grove 433 216 Switzerland County 428 217 South Vermillion 425 218 Whiting 423 219 Elwood 422 220 Park Tudor* 422 221 Blackford 421 222 Indianapolis Scecina 420 223 Pike Central 419 224 Seeger 419 225 Northeastern 417 226 Covenant Christian (Indpls.) 411 227 Adams Central 410 228 Mitchell 407 229 Rensselaer Central 407 230 Manchester 401 231 Tell City 400

I believe what he is saying is that it is making the coaching profession look bad. High school coaches that are teachers are involved in school and around kids day in and day out. They are trained to handle kids properly and are on the same schedules. “Coaches” outside of this parameter are not around kids year long. Also, parents think that if they are sending kids to personal trainers and position like coaches that they know more than their own high school coaches. Well high school coaches aren’t usually going to be giving personal lessons. They have multiple kids to coach. They have to teach in the class room. They aren’t accepting extra payments because they are trying to get their own team better.

Typically: Classifications 1st, then Sectionals next I believe the next executive IHSAA meeting is February 20th, so that would be the earliest that release is my guess

Patriots DC announced he is cancer free and will travel to the SB. God is so GOOD! Congrats!

I guess it shouldn’t be too surprising that the media has glommed onto this story now. To me, it illustrates the difference between the coaches and the fans/media. Some thoughts: 1. 1/3 of all portal entrants are grads, and there has been a clear preference to take developed players to plug gaps on rosters. 2. coaches would always prefer to be as old as possible without sacrificing production—no college team needs to get younger if they’re trying to compete. IU’s roster build isn’t some novel approach. 3. I’d wager that the teams that recruit the most portal guys will naturally skew older. 4. I’d wager that the national champion has typically been among the oldest teams each year. 5. IU’s story confuses people, and the relative age of the roster has been put forward as a novel and simple explanation as a media product. 6. it is easier to get older during transition periods and most likely to happen at places where the program has been moribund. 7. Cignetti and staff deserve a ton of credit for player evaluation and culture building.

😇😁

Perfect reminder to why Nick Saban is a Media Man When NIL start? 3 years ago?? 3 big 10 titles....in a row..... OH, sorry SOUTH, and Saban, the gravy train of illegal payments ceased and your advantages gone.... smart man he was to save his legacy

Congrats to all of my IU football fan friends! Very well deserved!

Today is the 52nd anniversary of one of the great upsets in college basketball history, as the Irish score the last 12 points of the game to end UCLA’s historic 88 game win streak. This unbelievable game followed 19 days after ND upset #1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl to win the natty, and I saw both in person. Quite a start to my last semester under the Dome.

14 TOTAL LOSSES IN ENTIRE 14 YEAR HC CAREER THUS FAR 5 State Titles (3 in 5a, 2 in 4a, their natural enrollment ) https://indianahsfootball.homestead.com/coaches/KyleRalph.htm#load He and his program have won 91% of the games he has coached in with the 169 total games. Incredible stuff each and every year Go get that 6a Title

The rumor I'm hearing is that he is following Herb and going to help him at Benton Central

Longtime Mt. Vernon (Fortville) head coach Doug Peacock passed away today from cancer. Was a great coach and an even better man. He will be missed.

It was an amendment to Senate Bill 1, which was removed. It called for school corporations and districts within counties that have fewer than 50,000 residents to consolidate into a single district for the county. I think discussion occurred that led to a change to the threshold identified for the population which would have reduced it to something like 30,000, but the amendment was removed before SB1 was approved.

Delphi knocks this out of the park with hiring Coach Peebles!

I'm skeptical as well....feels like its an "option" driven to put pressure on the city of Chicago/state of Illinois. Would love to know what opinions were shared by Goodell.

I compared the DOE numbers I posted from 2024 to the IHSAA enrollments that were used for classifications prior to the current cycle. Out of 403 schools, all but 19 of them were the exact same number used by the IHSAA as the DOE reported enrollment. The schools that were not the same number were mostly urban schools that likely have to count students that may not attend the member school but are eligible to participate with the athletic teams of the member school. The South Bend public schools, Evansville public schools, and the two Bloomington public schools accounted for 11 of the 19 schools that had a different number between DOE & IHSAA. I did not include the Warren Online Academy in the enrollment for Warren Central in 2024, which accounted for the difference between DOE & IHSAA for Warren Central. I forgot to add the WOA number to Warren Central again this year. Decatur Central was one of only two schools that actually had a lower number for the IHSAA than they report to the DOE. Their DOE number was 2050 but their IHSAA number was 1883. The other 6 schools with different numbers were relatively small differences - +13, +4, +2, +1, +1, and -1.

Of course, all that came in before the $$$ crunch, so we'll see if it continues. Attucks is supposed to finally get a real gym at some point. They play in a middle school gym. Seems like IPS could crowd fund that gym given the historic nature of Attucks and the 100th anniversary of the school's opening in 2027.

Don’t come on here with facts, you’ll mess up his agenda

I was at the Al Smith and witnessed the entire altercation. I have no doubt in my mind that Chris Fleeger will be fired at New Prairie high school . A quick Google search shows this guys rap sheet and character . Burglary, battery, protective order against him, and 14 or so speeding/traffic violations.

This is going to be a very long post. The question has been debated here, and elsewhere, and the issues are as complex as the fans are passionate. While I’ll try to keep this more in the realm of fact, as opposed to opinion, all should understand from the outset I am not unbiased when it comes to Notre Dame. My credentials as a Notre Dame supporter are probably as good as those of anyone likely to read this. I love Notre Dame. My 4 years there were among the best of my life. My ND degree set me up for success in life, and it is one of my proudest accomplishments. Moreover, I wore the blue and gold in intercollegiate athletic competition, and always took my responsibility as a representative of Our Lady’s University very, very seriously. All that being said, the most valuable skill I learned at ND was how to think critically. So, I have attempted to apply those critical thinking skills to this issue in as unbiased an analysis as I can manage. So, here goes. How did Notre Dame develop its tradition of independence in football? To decide whether conference affiliation is in the best interests of the program, you first need to understand how the policy of independence came about. ND’s status as an independent was originally adopted in the 1920s, when the Irish first rose to national prominence. In 1924, Knute Rockne put the team on a train and headed west to California. The only bowl game played that year was the Rose Bowl, and the Four Horsemen rode roughshod over Stanford, as the Irish capped their first national championship season. The idea of taking a team across country to play a game was new, and it captured the interest of the fans. The tradition of playing USC was born the following season. Notre was actually known as the “Ramblers” in those days, because of their willingness to travel to find opponents. Rock created the national brand that was Notre Dame football out of necessity. Notre Dame had no built-in local base of fans and recruits like the big state schools. Because it was a faith-based institution, its pool of potential recruits was necessarily limited, first by religion, and ultimately by academic demands that exceeded those of most other football-playing schools. Similarly, its relatively small size was a handicap in building a fan base without many thousands of alumni to rely on. For example, Notre Dame has about 150,000 living alumni. Ohio State has over 4 times that number. So, they needed to appeal to a national audience of fans and potential recruits. Catholicism was the only natural attractant, and Catholics provided the national fan and recruiting base for ND in the early years. At the same time, Rock was establishing an identity for the team on the gridiron. Because he wanted to appeal to a national fan base, and to recruit nationally, ND felt it could not be affiliated with a conference, because all conferences were regional at that time. The Irish adopted a scheduling philosophy that required them to show the flag all over the country, something that just wasn’t done if you were a conference member. Since ND was not affiliated with a conference, the only goal of this national program was, logically, a national championship. That was the reason why, after that Rose Bowl win against Stanford, the Irish adopted a policy of not playing in bowl games. In those days, the final polls declaring a national champion came out at the end of the regular season. Since the bowls had no impact on a national championship, and they were typically played during final exams, ND did not play in another bowl game until 1969. This policy served them well, as they rose to national prominence, winning 7 national championships between 1925 and 1969. The AP changed its polling process in 1968 to issue its final poll after the bowls were completed. Since ND’s program goal was a natty, they changed their bowl participation philosophy at that time, and began the new era of ND football with a Cotton Bowl appearance against Texas on Jan. 1, 1970. They changed their strategy to keep it well-aligned with the goal of winning national championships. Competing for a national championship, reinforcing the national brand in terms of both fan base and recruiting, and adhering to high academic standards, remain the goals of the program. Are the reasons initially justifying independent status still in existence? Understanding how and why Notre Dame’s policy of football independence originated is key to the issue of whether that philosophy should change or not. Is it possible to maintain a national fan base and a national recruiting presence, and compete for a national championship, all while becoming affiliated with a conference? The “national brand” limitations once imposed by conference affiliation have been significantly reduced due to a number of factors, principally the rise of the internet, social media, and streaming services, and the expansion of existing conferences outside their traditional regional envelopes. As late as 1992, the reach of the Big 10, for example, stretched only from Columbus to Iowa City, not even 550 mi. Today the Big 10 goes from coast to coast and is physically present from sea to shining sea. Today a Big 10 team might play in the New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle markets in a single season. ACC teams go all the way to Texas and California.The SEC includes Oklahoma & Texas. Regional conferences are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. The world has gotten a lot smaller. The college football world is no exception. It is now a lot easier to recruit in Texas, Florida, California, or anywhere else without having an actual physical presence close by. NIL and the transfer portal have revolutionized recruiting, and the old methods don’t work well any more. Conference affiliation, as recent events have revealed, is no barrier to competing for a national championship. In fact, independent status has likely become more of an obstacle, given scheduling issues. The P4 conferences have all gone to 9 game in-conference schedules. This has significantly reduced ND’s scheduling opportunities, outside of the first couple of weeks of the season traditionally reserved for non-conference games. With SOS and SOR becoming more important with the advent of a playoff system, the ability to generate a quality schedule has become a problem for ND. [Please don’t bring up Navy. That’s been addressed elsewhere. Getting Navy off the schedule is a non-starter. End of discussion.] And now, in addition to logistics issues, there is the prospect of a scheduling “backlash” against ND. It’s unclear how real that threat is, as ND is a significant draw, putting butts in the seats and eyeballs on the screen. Of course, conference affiliation does not guarantee a high quality schedule every season. Just look at the 2025 ACC for proof of that. But it does remove the perception that ND manages its schedule in a way conference affiliated teams cannot, hence the threatened “backlash.” Would the Irish have fared differently with the CFP Committee if their schedule contained Rutgers, Maryland, UCLA , and Michigan State, as opposed to Syracuse, Stanford, Arkansas and NC State? No one knows, but at least with a conference affiliation, the argument that ND plays a manufactured schedule when no one else can is eliminated, together with the negative connotations that go along with it. So, there are some sound reasons why an independent schedule no longer serves the goals of the program as it once did. But no discussion of program goals and philosophies is complete without addressing the elephant in the room: $$$. What would be the economic effect of conference affiliation? We cannot pretend that economic issues do not enter into the discussion. Notre Dame keeps significantly more revenue than many conference members, allowing them to retain substantial funds from CFP appearances and other sources. This financial strength allows for greater investment in both athletic programs and broader university goals. Unlike many schools, ND’s football revenue does not all stay with the program, or even with the Athletic Department, although it does fund football operations and non-revenue sports. The NBC deal has resulted in over $100 million in financial aid to non student athletes over the years. This is a vital part of the University’s overall goals. Any significant reduction in revenue resulting from conference affiliation is a non-starter. How would a conference affiliation affect revenue? Would conference affiliation result in a significant reduction in football revenue? Currently, ND’s contract with NBC/Peacock which runs through the 2029 season generates about $50 million/yr. The broadcast rights payouts to conference affiliated programs are, in some cases significantly more, than that. Under the current deal, B1G schools receive about $63 million. The Big 12 is only about $40 million; the ACC about $45 million. The SEC is about $52 million last year, but just signed a new deal which will put that figure somewhere in the $60+ million range starting next season. ESPN/ABC have locked up all of college football except the B1G and Notre Dame. Fox is heavily invested in the B1G. NBC owns Notre Dame. I don’t view any of this as a significant barrier to conference affiliation. ND’s Athletic Director, Pete Bevacqua, was the Chairman and President of NBC Sports as recently as 2023. If ND wanted to join a conference, I’m confident they could work out a deal with NBC. The big (potential) money difference is playoff compensation. For their run to the national championship game in 2024, ND received a $20 million payout, which they didn’t have to share with anyone. The conferences all have distribution formulas which provide that all members share in the payouts to conference teams in the CFP, most according to a formula which provides a bigger share to the teams actually making the playoffs. B1G schools received about $2.5 million each from the playoff pools last year. Of course, ND received $0 in 2025. Thus, conference affiliation provides greater certainty of revenue, while independent status provides a chance for a bigger payday. I would think that if ND is considering a conference affiliation, they would gravitate towards conferences that allow actual playoff teams to keep a larger portion of the revenue generated, with smaller shares going to non-playoff teams. In summary, there does not appear to be any financial impediment to conference affiliation. Rather, it is likely to present an opportunity to increase broadcast rights revenue. Have additional reasons developed, pro or con, regarding independent status? The world has changed dramatically from the days when Notre Dame’s policy of independence, driven by recruiting and fan base considerations, was a necessity. The college football of today would be unrecognizable to a fan in the 1970s. The internet, the rise of social media, and the increase in $$ dictate changes in both strategies and policies. Add to that the pressures of NIL, the portal, and a playoff format. There have been sufficient changes in the college football landscape to mandate a fresh look at whether the now century old policy of independence continues to be the best way to achieve the program’s goals. The rise of the “super conferences” has resulted in unprecedented difficulties in building a quality independent schedule. This results in two consequences, both negative: 1. A “weak” schedule that is perceived to be under ND’s control is seen as an unfair advantage, while a similar schedule strength is not held against a conference-affiliated team, since they don’t have the same kind of “freedom” of scheduling. 2. Playing a weaker schedule is not necessarily the best preparation for a playoff run. “Iron sharpens iron.” Playing a more competitive schedule, over time, will result in a better product on the field. In short, college football has changed drastically since Notre Dame developed its policy of independence in football. Those changes significantly mitigate, and in some cases eliminate, the drivers of that policy. All that remains, then, is to see how modern conference affiliation squares with the historical goals of the program. How does potential conference affiliation promote the historical goals of Notre Dame football? Competing for a national championship, reinforcing the national brand in terms of both fan base and recruiting, and adhering to high academic standards, remain the goals of the program. To this we can add “generating sufficient revenue to continue to fund the program, support non-revenue sports, and contribute significantly to the University’s general fund.” How does conference affiliation promote these goals? Competing for a national championship. What did we learn from the playoff snub debacle of 2025? We learned that you can improve your CFP ranking by playing in a conference championship game, even if you get stoned. We learned that there are a lot of people (committee members?) who hold Notre Dame’s independent status against them. The notorious MOU which supposedly assures ND of a playoff position if it finishes in the top 12 provides little comfort when we see what the committee did this year by moving Alabama ahead of ND. To be honest, if the CFP goes to 16 teams, ND should be in every year, especially if they do away with or limit automatic qualifiers. But we have seen very small distinctions have very large consequences. And if the goal is a national championship, the strategy should be to follow the path with the fewest obstacles to getting there, without compromising other program values. So, removing negative perceptions about scheduling, and striving for superior seeding and byes should be goals as well. Resolving the scheduling issues as suggested above provides not the only, but the clearest, path to a national championship. Reinforcing the national brand. Notre Dame’s national brand is already well-established. Arguably, it is the only program that can legitimately claim “national” status. The geographic and numerical expansion of the major conferences, and the availability of multiple broadcast platforms, means that it is now quite feasible to both belong to a conference and play a quality schedule that is national in scope, thus continuing to reinforce the brand. Adhering to high academic standards. ND’s academic standards are a strictly internal matter. Conference affiliation is irrelevant to this goal. ND’s GPA and academic progress benchmarks already meet or exceed those of any conference, as evidenced by the Irish’s perennial top national ranking in Graduation Success Rate. Generating sufficient revenue. As shown above, joining either the SEC or the B1G will likely result in an increase in broadcast rights revenue on the order of 20-25% in the short term, and more than that down the road. While there may be some decrease in post-season compensation, there’s a floor that prevents conference members from being shut out of playoff $$, as the Irish were this year. Consistent revenue streams become increasingly important in the NIL/portal world. Conclusion: The Time is Right for Notre Dame to Join a Conference. Joining a conference — provided it’s the right conference — is consistent with the long standing goals of the program. Notre Dame’s policy of independence was the right thing to do at the time it was adopted. In 1968, when the process for determining national champs changed, ND changed their philosophy on bowl game participation to realign it with their goal of a national championship. Since then, college football has changed dramatically in a number of ways. It’s time to, once again, change policy to realign it with the goal of winning a national championship. Which conference is right for Notre Dame? That’s probably the easiest question of all to answer. It’s the B1G by a landslide. For those who still think it’s important, the geographic fit is perfect. On the field, the B1G is ascending. Its revenue distribution is a significant upgrade on ND’s current broadcast deal. It’s in every major market. A 9 game conference schedule plus Navy still gives ND the opportunity to find a couple of games in the Deep South and/or Southwest. Historical rivalries like Michigan and USC will be preserved, and new ones will develop, such as Ohio State and, dare I say it, Indiana. It’s a no-brainer. So, that’s my take on the issue. Surprised?

It was on ESPN Sportscenter. Maybe 15 minutes after the game. There was really nothing groundbreaking in the interview besides the timing of that question. He is acting quite arrogant. The handshake after the game was simply childish imo.

While the Packers deserved to lose, this is something George Halas would have never said, or as an owner, allow his coach to say. Appreciate the rivalry and the intensity that comes with it, but be better Ben. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1485263446672466/?fs=e&fs=e

Keep your eyes on number 7. He is the slot receiver to the left. The move he makes is just sick. The DB lines up inside to try and take that away, but bites HARD on the outside step.

Mutual respect.

Nice story by Mr. Neddenriep in the Indianapolis Star: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2026/01/09/mt-vernon-football-coach-indiana-lineman-doug-peacock-died-thursday-at-age-68/88108025007/?tbref=hp

Best line of the night. Cheers Coach!

No, why would it? There is not a rivalry with Notre Dame as they don’t play enough. When/if we beat Miami, this will go down as the greatest season in college football history

Hoosiers goin' to the NATTY! Oh, and they covered the 3.5 point spread too!

Irish would have been steamrolled like everyone else 23… Total and complete ass whipping

They've only earned 4 points in 5A, because they've only been in 5A for one year. Points reset at zero when you move up a class.

That was a good game. Wow.

Had a special class, and the talent dropped WAY off afterwards. That was not unexpected - their younger classes were very uncompetitive in junior high/elementary all-star tourneys and those began to matriculate to the high school. When Kirschner was at MV, they got a lot of transfers, those appear to have dried up a bit, too. They'll be back. The community athletic culture at MV is very good, they have a growing community and a good administration.

Agreed. And usually it’s not the correction itself, it’s how someone does the correcting. Good post. *staer*??? LOL. Sorry. Had to. “Lord I apologize for that!” —- @foxbat

Based off these numbers plus success factor. General idea of what it could look like: Class Rank School Name 2026 Enrollment 6A 1 Carmel 5203 6A 2 Ben Davis 4365 6A 3 North Central (Indpls.) 3664 6A 4 Fishers 3615 6A 5 Avon 3520 6A 6 Franklin Central 3484 6A 7 Penn 3476 6A 8 Brownsburg 3460 6A 9 Hamilton Southeastern 3381 6A 10 Warren Central 3276 6A 11 Pike 3259 6A 12 Noblesville 3186 6A 13 Westfield 3063 6A 14 Center Grove 3043 6A 15 Crown Point 3035 6A 16 Elkhart 2876 6A 17 Lake Central 2840 6A 18 Lawrence North 2777 6A 19 Carroll (Fort Wayne) 2581 6A 20 Lawrence Central 2470 6A 21 Southport 2398 6A 22 Perry Meridian 2397 6A 23 Homestead 2345 6A 24 Zionsville 2314 6A 25 Jeffersonville 2147 6A 26 Harrison (West Lafayette) 2109 6A 27 Whiteland 2105 6A 28 Columbus North 2098 6A 29 Valparaiso 2082 6A 30 Merrillville 2081 6A 31 Fort Wayne Northrop 2069 6A 36 Decatur Central 1967 5A 32 Portage 2038 5A 33 Indianapolis Arsenal Tech 2016 5A 34 Lafayette Jefferson 2008 5A 35 Warsaw 1987 5A 37 Chesterton 1905 5A 38 Castle 1882 5A 39 South Bend Adams 1878 5A 40 Fort Wayne Snider 1854 5A 41 McCutcheon 1823 5A 42 Plainfield 1791 5A 43 New Albany 1755 5A 44 Floyd Central 1752 5A 45 LaPorte 1720 5A 46 Bloomington South 1714 5A 47 Anderson 1693 5A 48 Concord 1688 5A 49 Seymour 1644 5A 50 Goshen 1641 5A 51 Evansville North 1618 5A 52 Hammond Central 1611 5A 53 Franklin Community 1558 5A 54 Mount Vernon (Fortville) 1539 5A 55 Terre Haute South 1502 5A 56 Munster 1474 5A 57 Bloomington North 1445 5A 58 Huntington North 1440 5A 59 Greenfield-Central 1430 5A 60 Fort Wayne South Side 1419 5A 61 Michigan City 1408 5A 62 Terre Haute North 1399 5A 81 New Palestine 1202 5A 89 Indianapolis Cathedral 1109 4A 63 Kokomo 1385 4A 64 Pendleton Heights 1379 4A 65 Fort Wayne Wayne 1367 4A 66 Fort Wayne North Side 1320 4A 67 Mooresville 1301 4A 68 Hobart 1292 4A 69 Hammond Morton 1287 4A 70 Evansville Harrison 1283 4A 71 Columbus East 1280 4A 72 Evansville Reitz 1273 4A 73 Richmond 1261 4A 74 Muncie Central 1254 4A 75 Mishawaka 1249 4A 76 South Bend Riley 1249 4A 77 Northridge 1239 4A 78 East Central 1214 4A 79 Greenwood 1207 4A 80 Martinsville 1204 4A 82 Indianapolis Crispus Attucks 1199 4A 83 Bedford-North Lawrence 1186 4A 84 Columbia City 1180 4A 85 Indianapolis Shortridge 1166 4A 86 Jennings County 1161 4A 87 Logansport 1123 4A 88 New Haven 1117 4A 90 Shelbyville 1077 4A 91 Indianapolis Roncalli 1075 4A 92 Lebanon 1067 4A 93 Gary West Side 1064 4A 94 Jasper 1059 4A 95 East Chicago Central 1054 4A 96 Lowell 1017 4A 97 Silver Creek 1009 4A 98 Highland 1006 4A 99 Evansville Central 999 4A 100 Marion 993 4A 101 Plymouth 992 4A 102 East Noble 987 4A 103 New Prairie 971 4A 104 Kankakee Valley 951 4A 105 DeKalb 940 4A 106 Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger 936 4A 107 South Bend Saint Joseph 922 4A 108 Charlestown 918 4A 109 Danville 903 4A 110 Beech Grove 902 4A 111 Frankfort 896 4A 112 Northview 888 4A 113 Leo 886 4A 114 Boonville 869 4A 115 Connersville 866 4A 116 Hanover Central 859 4A 117 NorthWood 855 4A 118 Yorktown 840 4A 119 Jay County 839 4A 120 Culver Academies* 833 4A 121 Brebeuf Jesuit 827 4A 122 Delta 826 4A 123 Wawasee 813 4A 124 Madison 803 4A 125 Guerin Catholic 799 4A 126 Evansville Bosse 797 4A 153 Heritage Hills 621 4A 177 Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 538 3A 127 New Castle 795 3A 128 Indianapolis Bishop Chatard 794 3A 129 Washington 792 3A 130 Mishawaka Marian 783 3A 131 Gibson Southern 776 3A 132 Western 773 3A 133 Edgewood 769 3A 134 Norwell 754 3A 135 West Lafayette 751 3A 136 Hammond Bishop Noll 750 3A 137 Corydon Central 740 3A 138 Fort Wayne Concordia 735 3A 139 Hamilton Heights 734 3A 140 Vincennes Lincoln 717 3A 141 Scottsburg 705 3A 142 Lawrenceburg 697 3A 143 Angola 695 3A 144 South Bend Washington 693 3A 145 Batesville 688 3A 146 Mississinewa 685 3A 147 Crawfordsville 681 3A 148 West Noble 681 3A 149 Evansville Memorial 658 3A 150 Indian Creek 647 3A 151 Griffith 643 3A 152 Calumet 622 3A 154 Fairfield 619 3A 155 Purdue Polytechnic Downtown 617 3A 156 Owen Valley 615 3A 157 South Dearborn 613 3A 158 Twin Lakes 609 3A 159 Indianapolis Washington 607 3A 160 Bellmont 606 3A 161 John Glenn 606 3A 162 Greensburg 602 3A 163 North Harrison 588 3A 164 Mount Vernon (Posey) 586 3A 165 Franklin County 582 3A 166 River Forest 577 3A 167 Speedway 575 3A 168 Heritage 565 3A 169 Tri-West 563 3A 170 Rushville 562 3A 171 Tippecanoe Valley 562 3A 172 Princeton 558 3A 173 Bluffton 548 3A 174 Evansville Mater Dei 546 3A 175 Garrett 540 3A 176 Northwestern 539 3A 178 Southridge 538 3A 179 Woodlan 538 3A 180 North Montgomery 528 3A 181 Sullivan 526 3A 182 Benton Central 521 3A 183 Western Boone 513 3A 184 Centerville 512 3A 185 Heritage Christian 510 3A 186 Maconaquah 510 3A 187 Cascade 504 3A 188 Eastbrook 502 3A 189 Jimtown 502 3A 190 West Vigo 501 3A 202 Andrean 473 3A 227 Adams Central 410 2A 191 Lakeland 498 2A 192 Christel House Manual 495 2A 193 Frankton 492 2A 194 Lapel 492 2A 195 Eastern (Greentown) 490 2A 196 Greencastle 487 2A 197 Southmont 486 2A 198 Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter 483 2A 199 Triton Central 482 2A 200 Oak Hill 480 2A 201 Knox 474 2A 203 Salem 467 2A 204 Brown County 464 2A 205 Peru 462 2A 206 Bremen 460 2A 207 Wabash 457 2A 208 Monrovia 454 2A 209 Rochester 452 2A 210 Brownstown Central 448 2A 211 Tipton 445 2A 212 North Posey 443 2A 213 Providence 442 2A 214 Alexandria 435 2A 215 Boone Grove 433 2A 216 Switzerland County 428 2A 217 South Vermillion 425 2A 218 Whiting 423 2A 219 Elwood 422 2A 220 Park Tudor* 422 2A 221 Blackford 421 2A 222 Indianapolis Scecina 420 2A 223 Pike Central 419 2A 224 Seeger 419 2A 225 Northeastern 417 2A 226 Covenant Christian (Indpls.) 411 2A 228 Mitchell 407 2A 229 Rensselaer Central 407 2A 230 Manchester 401 2A 231 Tell City 400 2A 232 Eastern (Pekin) 398 2A 233 Shenandoah 398 2A 234 Delphi 394 2A 235 North Putnam 391 2A 236 Prairie Heights 391 2A 237 Clarksville 388 2A 238 Lewis Cass 388 2A 239 Wheeler 383 2A 240 Winchester 379 2A 241 Eastern Hancock 377 2A 242 Paoli 375 2A 243 Linton-Stockton 364 2A 244 Hagerstown 363 2A 245 Central Noble 360 2A 246 LaVille 360 2A 247 Eastside 355 2A 248 South Spencer 355 2A 249 Perry Central 354 2A 250 Eastern Greene 350 2A 251 Churubusco 349 2A 252 Lake Station Edison 348 2A 253 Taylor 348 2A 254 South Putnam 347 2A 255 Crawford County 344 2A 256 Sheridan 341 1A 257 Union County 339 1A 258 Forest Park 334 1A 259 South Adams 331 1A 260 Knightstown 329 1A 261 Whitko 327 1A 262 South Central (Union Mills) 325 1A 263 Clinton Prairie 324 1A 264 Parke Heritage 323 1A 265 North Knox 321 1A 266 Winamac 320 1A 267 North Judson 318 1A 268 Monroe Central 314 1A 269 Riverton Parke 314 1A 270 Milan 312 1A 271 Cloverdale 307 1A 272 Lafayette Central Catholic 306 1A 273 Fountain Central 305 1A 274 North Decatur 300 1A 275 Fremont 298 1A 276 North Newton 295 1A 277 Tecumseh 295 1A 278 West Washington 294 1A 279 Carroll (Flora) 289 1A 280 Indianapolis Irvington 286 1A 281 Northfield 286 1A 282 Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian 282 1A 283 Madison-Grant 281 1A 284 North Daviess 280 1A 285 Indianapolis Lutheran 279 1A 286 Faith Christian 277 1A 287 Triton 273 1A 288 Bowman Academy 270 1A 289 Pioneer 270 1A 290 Anderson Prep Academy 269 1A 291 North Vermillion 261 1A 292 Caston 255 1A 293 North Miami 255 1A 294 North White 255 1A 295 Southwood 253 1A 296 Southern Wells 250 1A 297 Tri 250 1A 298 South Newton 248 1A 299 Wes-Del 246 1A 300 Covington 245 1A 301 Greenwood Christian 244 1A 302 Springs Valley 243 1A 303 Clinton Central 239 1A 304 North Central (Farmersburg) 237 1A 305 Union City 236 1A 306 South Decatur 226 1A 307 Purdue Polytechnic - Broad Ripple 220 1A 308 Culver 219 1A 309 Edinburgh 208 1A 310 Tri Central 206 1A 311 Tri-County 206 1A 312 West Central 206 1A 313 Cambridge City Lincoln 181 1A 314 Frontier 180 1A 315 Indianapolis Tindley 178 1A 316 Attica 166

Iowa massively underrated

I’d be willing to bet the farm, you will not find an official in the state of Indiana who doesn’t agree 100% with that.

Yes. The Sun Belt.

He didn’t even rastle in high school