The Indiana University Indianapolis men’s basketball team will celebrate homecoming in style Jan. 25 in The Jungle at IU Natatorium. Players will wear throwback uniforms inspired by the jerseys from 1985, when the team was known as the Metros.

The special-edition jerseys honor the 1985 team that competed in the program’s first postseason tournament at the NAIA level. Men’s basketball became the Indianapolis campus’s first intercollegiate athletics program in 1972. The Metros nickname was chosen to reflect the school’s location in the heart of the capital city.

The IU Indianapolis men's basketball team will wear throwback 1985 Metros uniforms on Jan. 25. Photo provided by IU Indianapolis Athletics“The men’s basketball team, and the entire IU Indy Athletics Department, is excited to celebrate the history of our program with our first Metros jersey in 15 years,” said Lauren Gronke, assistant athletic director for marketing, promotions and fan engagement. “The throwback jerseys are a great way to showcase our team but also honor the 40th anniversary team, bringing several of them back to campus for this event. The uniform honors the legacy of our Metros alumni while linking them to our current Jaguars men’s basketball team, who I know this campus will be excited to cheer on beyond just this game.

“We encourage students, faculty, staff and the Indianapolis community to come out to the homecoming game on Jan. 25. The Metros campaign is almost a year in the making, and we can’t wait for our IU Indy community to pack The Jungle this month. We have a lot of things planned to make it a fun game-day atmosphere for longtime and new fans of all ages.”

Fans can also wear the throwback Metros logo, thanks to a collaboration with Homefield Apparel. The Metros campaign includes T-shirts with the vintage nickname, including the 1985 design, and are for sale on the retailer’s website.

The homecoming game tips off at 2 p.m. vs. Purdue Fort Wayne. Ticket prices start at $15 and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.

Students get in free by showing their CrimsonCard to ticket takers on game day. Alumni can get tickets for $10 by entering the promo code JAGSALUM at checkout. The first 100 tickets sold using the promo code will receive a free IU Indy beanie.

Tickets are mobile only and will not be sold on site.