What you need to know for IU’s football home opener
By Kirk Johannesen
August 29, 2023
Fans who plan to attend home games should be aware of changes and new options related to parking, tickets and the gameday experience.
Parking changes
Two changes are coming to parking at Memorial Stadium: the convenience of mobile parking passes and “zipper” parking for all vehicles in general admission grass parking lots immediately south of the stadium. Fans who are interested in parking in either the IU Athletics grass lots or surface lots nearest Memorial Stadium are encouraged to buy parking passes in advance online to ensure availability.
Mobile parking provides fans with easy access to their parking pass through their smartphone. Fans also have the option to transfer parking passes electronically, in the same way that game tickets can be transferred. Save mobile parking passes via email by following step-by-step instructions.
Beginning with the Ohio State game, IU Athletics is introducing “zipper” parking to create more parking opportunities near Memorial Stadium on game days and to improve fan safety. Upon entry to the general admission grass parking lots with a valid gameday parking pass, parking attendants will direct each vehicle to the next available parking space. The grass lots will be filled from the front of the lot nearest the stadium to the back of the lot in the order the cars arrive, using every available parking spot. This policy replaces the previous practice of allowing cars to park in any available parking spot upon arrival.
The change is limited to the general admission grass parking lots. The surface parking lots around Memorial Stadium, the reserved grass parking lots and the parking garages on campus will continue to allow parking permit holders to park in any available space.
Enhanced ticketing experience
IU Athletics has partnered with SeatGeek, an event ticket search engine, to enhance the ticketing experience for fans.
SeatGeek will be the official fan-to-fan marketplace for IU Athletics. Fans who purchase game tickets through the IU Athletics website have the option to sell their tickets through the “My Account” page on the IU Athletics Ticket website and through the IU Athletics mobile app.
Ticket sellers and buyers will have the comfort of SeatGeek’s “buyer’s guarantee” that all transactions are verified before completion.
New beer
Upland Brewing Company, the exclusive craft beer sponsor of IU Athletics, has launched its first IU-branded beer: Hoosier Gameday Lager. The beer can will feature IU’s iconic cream-and-crimson candy stripes. Football fans will find the beer for sale on game days at Memorial Stadium.
Upland surveyed IU fans to create the beer, gathering input and suggestions for the name, flavor and design of the can.
A portion of Hoosier Gameday Lager sales will go toward IU student scholarships.
Memorial Stadium survey
IU Athletics has taken an initial step to explore opportunities and options for modernizing Memorial Stadium by engaging Nations Group, a sports planning and advisory firm, to help.
IU Athletics stakeholders, including ticket buyers, donors and business leaders, were sent a secure, online survey seeking their feedback on multiple topics related to modernizing the stadium and gameday experience for fans.
Topics covered in the survey include a reimagined concourse, social gathering spaces, upgraded concessions, and enhanced premium seating options and locations.
Gear up
A new tradition that started last year will ramp up again this fall: “Gear Up Friday.”
At IU campuses across the state, Gear Up Friday is a way for the IU family — students, staff, faculty, alumni and fans — to show their university pride by wearing their IU gear.
People are encouraged to share photos of themselves, their families and pets wearing IU gear on social media, tag Indiana University or campus-specific accounts, and use the hashtag #GearUpFridays.
Kirk Johannesen is a communications consultant in the Office of the Vice President for Communications and Marketing.