IU Football 2025

[Muda69]

Doyel: IU vs Indiana State on same night as biggest high school game in Bloomington? Boo, Big Ten!: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2025/09/12/indiana-football-game-high-school-season-bloomington-north-south-big-ten/86115059007/

Quote

College football is going to destroy itself. Nothing we can do about it, you know? We’ve seen this coming since the transfer portal and NIL payments — smart and fair ideas, at face value — have spun into something stupid and chaotic. Something about college football will survive, even if it’s a bastardized version of the Big Ten vs. the SEC, each conference bloated to 25 or 30 schools each, propped up by the unholy trinity of revenue streams: TV networks, alcohol sales and online gambling.

That’s coming. Nothing to be done about it now. But how much does college football have to hurt high school football — its free feeder system, for heaven’s sake — along the way?

Yeah, this is another story about Friday night football, once the sole property of high schools around the country, being infiltrated by colleges. You’ve read it before. I’ve written it before, back in 2016, when the Big Ten announced it was going to start playing games on Friday night and the commissioners of the Big Ten and IHSAA patted themselves on the back for … something.

You know the queasy basics of the story. Do you know the nauseating details, this week?

 

Bloomington North visits Bloomington South at 7 p.m. Friday.

Thirty minutes earlier, 3 miles north on Walnut Street, the Indiana football team kicks off against Indiana State.

Yes, on Friday night.

This is not an IU football problem, OK? Do the Hoosiers have some say in the matter? Sure, they have some. But there has always been a power imbalance in Big Ten football, and the Hoosiers have long been on the weak end of the stick. Who’s on the powerful side? The usual suspects: Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin.

 

The Big Ten has 18 schools, remember, and 14 of them are scheduled to play at least once this season on Friday night. The four not scheduled?

Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin.

Again, if you’re an IU football fan and thinking this is an attack on your school: don’t. Now, this part does look bad. Two years ago, when Bloomington North visited Bloomington South on Sept. 8, 2023 — that was a Friday night — those city rivals weren’t the only game in town.

Same night — 3 miles north on Walnut Street — the Indiana football team kicked off against Indiana State.

This issues goes way above the pay grade of IU, and it has nothing to do with Indiana State, OK? The Sycamores are lucky to get a game at Memorial Stadium, and they know it. They’d play the game on Friday night — this Friday night, next Friday night, even the Friday night before traveling to play North Dakota at noon the next day. That’s just how it is. Those are the economics of college football for a school like Indiana State.

Same goes for the economics of college football for a school like Indiana, especially the Indiana football that existed nine years ago when the Big Ten sold what was left of its shabby little soul to Fox Sports and the Big Ten Network and agreed to play games on Friday nights. Back then, a handful of schools — Michigan being one — put its foot down and said: Not us. Take your Friday night schedule and shove it.

Most of the rest of the league, especially the historically weaker schools like IU and, yes, Purdue? They didn’t like it. Make no mistake. I spoke with the people in charge of both programs back then, and while the names and faces have changed at both schools since 2016, I’ve spoken to enough people these days at IU and Purdue – you know their names – to know they don’t like playing on Friday night. But they know they have to.

Follow the money, and all that.

These days the money is just such a massive problem for college football. How can that be, when there’s more cash than ever flowing into college football? Because that’s how it is with money: Nobody lives within their means. They live beyond them, writing checks they hope won’t bounce and charging the rest, hoping they can pay off the interest before the bank — read: the SEC — comes to collect.

 

Don’t act like your mortgage payment doesn’t stretch you to the limit. What, you needed that bonus room or attached two-car garage more than you needed to save a few bucks every month? Of course not. But everyone else has a bonus room — you’ve seen it on Instagram! — and you’ll be darned if you’re not going to have what everyone else has.

Sorry. Getting angry here. Maybe because I had a bonus room once, and an attached two-car garage, which meant a monthly payment that was nearly equal to two weeks’ pay. That was 1999. I’m still angry at myself for it.

Now I’m angry at college football for never, ever having enough — not the conferences, not the schools, not even the players. One trip into the transfer portal wasn’t enough, right? Now we have players changing schools every year.

A little spending money from a name, image and likness deal wasn’t enough, right? Nope. Now we have collectives paying college players hundreds of thousands of dollars to do absolutely nothing — picture Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard nodding like Jack Nicholson — and we have the collision of NIL and the transfer portal turning college football into a joke.

We still watch, sure. But we’re also laughing. Because it’s absurd, how far the game has gone, and how far leagues and schools will go to make those mortgage payments. Alcohol sales, once off limits at some places, are everywhere. So are partnerships with online gambling sites.

This isn’t sustainable. Everyone knows it, has known it for years, but nobody is doing anything about it.

Meanwhile, Indiana will play Indiana State on Friday night, while Bloomington South and Bloomington North are kicking off 3 miles away for the second time in three years. Fans will attend the North vs. South game, sure. But how many will skip it to attend, or just watch, IU vs. Indiana State.

How many Friday night games — sorry, Friday night high school games — will be similarly affected this week? Well, let’s see. In Terre Haute, where an Indiana State game on TV still matters — especially one against #iufb — North Vigo plays South Vigo. And 15 miles from Memorial Stadium, Edgewood plays a big one against Owen Valley.

More than 100 more high school games, around the state.

“Friday night football is a huge part of your entire athletic budget,” said Hall of Fame football coach Dick Dullaghan, who coached at Carmel, Ben Davis and Bishop Chatard and won eight state titles. “Some high schools can make enough money on one Friday night to support two or three other sports for the whole year. And they only charge $5 to get in. It’s the greatest bargain in the world.

“And now they’re going to put Big Ten football on Friday night? That’s money-hungry. That’s ridiculous. Are you kidding me? I just … oh! It makes me so angry.”

That’s what Dick Dullahan told me in 2016.

Here’s what Bloomington South athletics director JR Holmes told me Friday:

“It’s just unfortunate,” Holmes said. “We survive in high school by our gate — we don’t get TV contracts or big sponsors. Anybody that goes to an IU game who normally would come here, that hurts us financially. Biggest crowd we ever have — it does hurt financially. It’s unfortunate they do that.”

Nope, nothing has changed. Well, only this: In 2016, the Big Ten agreed to schedule “just” six Friday night games over each of those next six years. This season that number is up to 13 games.

In 2016, then-Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany told the Chicago Tribune: “All things considered, we thought it was worthwhile to dip our toe in the water.”

They’re splashing around the pool now, the Big Ten, landing in the shallow end — cannonball! — and not giving a good damn who gets wet.

"Big Time" college football is on a collision course to financial disaster.  Like Mr. Doyel has said their trajectory is not sustainable.  And it's the HS programs like Bloomington North and South who suffer because of their greed.

 

[Coach Nowlin]

has happened in West Lafayette last 3 years too 

Rinse Repeat 

[Bash Riprock]

22 hours ago, Muda69 said:

Doyel: IU vs Indiana State on same night as biggest high school game in Bloomington? Boo, Big Ten!: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2025/09/12/indiana-football-game-high-school-season-bloomington-north-south-big-ten/86115059007/

"Big Time" college football is on a collision course to financial disaster.  Like Mr. Doyel has said their trajectory is not sustainable.  And it's the HS programs like Bloomington North and South who suffer because of their greed.

 

Unfortunately, I don't think the Big 10 and CFB gives a hoot about high school football scheduling, let along the matchup of Bloom South and Bloom North, and also TH South and TH North (also occurred last night) impacking attendance.  I as at the IU game last night...actually, the attendance was better than I expected for a friday night game against an opponent in which the home team was favored by 48.  (beat the spread easily)

[Impartial_Observer]

22 hours ago, Bash Riprock said:

Unfortunately, I don't think the Big 10 and CFB gives a hoot about high school football scheduling, let along the matchup of Bloom South and Bloom North, and also TH South and TH North (also occurred last night) impacking attendance.  I as at the IU game last night...actually, the attendance was better than I expected for a friday night game against an opponent in which the home team was favored by 48.  (beat the spread easily)

I’m quite certain all that’s true, but I can ABSOLUTELY determine where my hard earned cash is spent. HS sports are far more important in the long run. 

[Bash Riprock]

Couldn't help noticing the whuppin' Old Dominion laid down on Va Tech this weekend.  Perhaps it makes the Hoosiers opening win look a tad better......

[Bobref]

2 hours ago, Bash Riprock said:

Couldn't help noticing the whuppin' Old Dominion laid down on Va Tech this weekend.  Perhaps it makes the Hoosiers opening win look a tad better......

And Va. Tech fired their coach this morning.

[Footballking16]

52 minutes ago, Bobref said:

And Va. Tech fired their coach this morning.

As they should have. Brent Pry was outclassed in the second half in both week 1 and weeks 2 games against South Carolina and Vanderbilt, both totally winnable. I think he lost the locker room after getting outscored by 35 during the second half in a loss to Vanderbilt the week before.

[Bash Riprock]

2 hours ago, Footballking16 said:

As they should have. Brent Pry was outclassed in the second half in both week 1 and weeks 2 games against South Carolina and Vanderbilt, both totally winnable. I think he lost the locker room after getting outscored by 35 during the second half in a loss to Vanderbilt the week before.

Agreed....Vandy is pretty darn good though...impressive win by the Commodores in Columbia, SC.  That was a smackdown!

[Komets2727]

I really believe IU is going to beat Illinois handily. I just believe the Hoosiers are a better football team than Illinois. Home field plays a big role in this as well. 41-17 Hoosiers 

[Footballking16]

On 9/15/2025 at 6:55 PM, Komets2727 said:

I really believe IU is going to beat Illinois handily. I just believe the Hoosiers are a better football team than Illinois. Home field plays a big role in this as well. 41-17 Hoosiers 

I don't know if the score will be lopsided, but do agree with you that IU wins by multiple scores. Stylistically, I think IU is a terrible match up for Illinois. Bert and Illinois are at their best as a ground and pound, ball control team. IU has been elite at stopping the run dating back to last season. I just don't see the Illini being able to control the ball and keep the IU offense off the field. Defensively Illini will be the best the Hoosiers have seen all year, and they'll get stops, but just don't believe they have the firepower to keep up with IU.

31-21 Hoosiers is my prediction. 

[Komets2727]

The line for the IU/Illinois game started at -4.5 went to -3.5 and now has jumped to -6.5. Just interesting to see how it has fluctuated 

[Coach Nowlin]

Has nothing to do with actual on field 

has everything to do with VEGAS maximizing their profits 

 

DISCLAIMER:  Unless one side of any given game has announced a key injury /suspension 

[Muda69]

19 hours ago, Komets2727 said:

The line for the IU/Illinois game started at -4.5 went to -3.5 and now has jumped to -6.5. Just interesting to see how it has fluctuated 

I'm glad I still really don't understand what those numbers mean. 

 

[Footballking16]

18 hours ago, Coach Nowlin said:

Has nothing to do with actual on field 

has everything to do with VEGAS maximizing their profits 

 

DISCLAIMER:  Unless one side of any given game has announced a key injury /suspension 

Xavier Scott, Illinois top corner and potential 1st rd pick, is out this week and potentially longer. Not sure a single injury to a non-QB player drives the line almost 3 points but I'm sure it has factored into the movement. Line had been steadily moving Indiana's way prior to the announcement. 

[Footballking16]

2 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

I'm glad I still really don't understand what those numbers mean. 

 

It's a handicap. IU being favored at -6 essentially means the game starts 6-0 in IU's favor. IU needs to win by 7 or more to cover the spread while Indiana winning by 5 or less and/or an outright Illinois win means Illinois covers +6. A 6 point win for IU would result in a push. 

[Muda69]

1 hour ago, Footballking16 said:

It's a handicap. IU being favored at -6 essentially means the game starts 6-0 in IU's favor. IU needs to win by 7 or more to cover the spread while Indiana winning by 5 or less and/or an outright Illinois win means Illinois covers +6. A 6 point win for IU would result in a push. 

Ok, thank you.  But that means what exactly?  Handicapped why?

 

[Footballking16]

12 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

Ok, thank you.  But that means what exactly?  Handicapped why?

 

Because all teams aren't created equal. You can bet on teams to win outright without the spread (handicap) but it's at heavily discounted price. For example, IU has -250 odds to win outright tomorrow. If you aren't confident they can cover a 6 pt spread, you can bet on them to simply to win, its called a moneyline bet. But it would cost you. You would need to risk $25 for a bet that only win $10. Betting the spread typically pays out nearly 1:1.

Edited September 19, 2025 by Footballking16

[Bash Riprock]

1 hour ago, Footballking16 said:

It's a handicap. IU being favored at -6 essentially means the game starts 6-0 in IU's favor. IU needs to win by 7 or more to cover the spread while Indiana winning by 5 or less and/or an outright Illinois win means Illinois covers +6. A 6 point win for IU would result in a push. 

Does the hometeam automatically get 3 points??  Does that factor into the spread?

[Bash Riprock]

20 hours ago, Komets2727 said:

The line for the IU/Illinois game started at -4.5 went to -3.5 and now has jumped to -6.5. Just interesting to see how it has fluctuated 

ESPN analytics for what they are worth

[Coach Nowlin]

1 hour ago, Footballking16 said:

Xavier Scott, Illinois top corner and potential 1st rd pick, is out this week and potentially longer. Not sure a single injury to a non-QB player drives the line almost 3 points but I'm sure it has factored into the movement. Line had been steadily moving Indiana's way prior to the announcement. 

oooh,  that I had not seen, but IU pass attack I am sure with that injury perhaps led to some, but ultimately its an algo math problem to make sure VEGAS wins OVERALL

3 minutes ago, Bash Riprock said:

Does the hometeam automatically get 3 points??  Does that factor into the spread?

The was always something that has been said, not sure overall, one of those wise tales perhaps,  but if IU played AT KENNESAW ST, I really do not think VEGAS starts with -3 🙂 

 

[Bash Riprock]

1 minute ago, Coach Nowlin said:

oooh,  that I had not seen, but IU pass attack I am sure with that injury perhaps led to some, but ultimately its an algo math problem to make sure VEGAS wins OVERALL

The was always something that has been said, not sure overall, one of those wise tales perhaps,  but if IU played AT KENNESAW ST, I really do not think VEGAS starts with -3 🙂 

 

fair point...I have always heard about the 3 points given for hosting, but wasn't sure if really accurate.  Your example makes sense

 

[Footballking16]

25 minutes ago, Bash Riprock said:

Does the hometeam automatically get 3 points??  Does that factor into the spread?

Not automatically no, but a lot of the time it's implied, especially if it's two evenly matched teams.

Edited September 19, 2025 by Footballking16

[Muda69]

1 hour ago, Footballking16 said:

Because all teams aren't created equal. You can bet on teams to win outright without the spread (handicap) but it's at heavily discounted price. For example, IU has -250 odds to win outright tomorrow. If you aren't confident they can cover a 6 pt spread, you can bet on them to simply to win, its called a moneyline bet. But it would cost you. You would need to risk $25 for a bet that only win $10. Betting the spread typically pays out nearly 1:1.

Thanks again, but to me gambling is a fool's errand.  Not interested. 

 

[Coach Nowlin]

1 hour ago, Muda69 said:

Thanks again, but to me gambling is a fool's errand.  Not interested. 

 

also a pretty accurate assessment, HOWEVER, for those who can do so responsibly its a harmless funsie time.  

For instance, I am a Wednesday thru Sunday Horse player, VERY TOUGH game , however LOVE IT, been to Keeneland and Saratgoa twice now, great fun, but there is ZERO money that I use for those things that is earmarked for anything other than my personal slush fund I have set up for things like that, or Saturday WRESTLEPALLOZA ( that is going to be EPIC, better than the RUMBLE i was at in February imo) 

 

[Komets2727]

Indiana up 28-7 midway thru the 2nd quarter. Illinois has no answer for the Hoosier offense and outside of a busted coverage, no answer for the Hoosier defense