Homecoming activities go beyond football to include statue unveiling, parade, Hoosier Hysteria

The Marching Hundred was part of the Indiana University Bloomington Homecoming Parade on Oct. 20, 2023. Photo by Andrew Russell, Indiana University Office of Student Life

Alumni, faculty, staff and students who enjoy celebrating the glory of old IU have plenty of opportunities this week. It’s IU Homecoming.

That means events, festivities and football.

The Indiana Hoosiers, off to a 6-0 start and already bowl eligible under new head coach Curt Cignetti, face the Nebraska Cornhuskers at noon Oct. 19 at Memorial Stadium. The game has sold out.

Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” will broadcast from IU beginning at 10 a.m., and nationally recognized competitive eater Joey Chestnut — a Hoosier native — will be part of the gameday festivities. The Alumni Band and the Alumni Redsteppers will perform at the game. Recognitions will be conducted for 50-Year I-Men and I-Women — IU athletes who earned a varsity letter 50 years ago.

While the football game highlights IU Homecoming, it starts with a week of student activities. Other notable upcoming events include:

• A statue of musician, artist and activist John Mellencamp will be unveiled during a ceremony at 1 p.m. Oct. 18 at the IU Auditorium North Garden. Mellencamp, born in nearby Seymour, Indiana, is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The sculpture was created by IU alumnus Michael McAuley.
• The annual homecoming parade will start at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at 13th Street and head down Woodlawn Avenue to 17th Street. Free parking is offered in IU Athletics lots for the parade.
• Hoosier Hysteria is set for Oct. 18 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for IU men’s and women’s basketball. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the event starts at 7:30. It will include player introductions, a men’s basketball scrimmage, messages by women’s head coach Teri Moren and men’s head coach Mike Woodson, and contests that will include fan participants. IU graduate and Bally Sports Florida reporter Tricia Whitaker will emcee. Admission is free, but people are asked to bring canned food items to support Hoosier Hills Food Bank.
• The Indiana University Alumni Association will start game day at the DeVault Alumni Center with the Hoosier Huddle, a family-friendly tailgate event for IU Alumni Association supporters and their guests. The event starts at 9 a.m. Oct. 19.

Color Guard performing in parade and game

This will be the first homecoming experience for the re-created IU Color Guard. It will perform in the parade, with an alumni reception afterward at Marching Hundred Hall. The IU Color Guard’s 22 members also will participate in gameday festivities: The Walk, pregame activities and a halftime performance.

Auditions took place in fall 2023, and the group debuted in spring 2024. The IU Color Guard placed in the top two at every regional during the regular season, was champion of the Mideast Power Regional and was a semifinalist at nationals.

New addition to IUPD motorcycle unit debuts

The IU Police Department will rev up a new addition to its motorcycle unit during the homecoming parade this year: a red 2016 Ural Gear Up motorcycle. A gift from IU Foundation President and CEO J T. Forbes and his wife, Martha Shedd, the motorcycle has a vintage feel and a sidecar that fits the IUPD K9s perfectly.

Indiana University Foundation President J T. Forbes donated a motorcycle to the Indiana University Police Department at IU Bloomington. Photo by Wendi Chitwood, Indiana University“The IU Police Department’s commitment to building trust, fostering partnerships and ensuring the well-being of students, faculty and staff on campus and in the community is essential to creating a safer, strong community,” Forbes said. “For Martha and me, donating our motorcycle was a way for us to recognize the police department’s important role in our community and thank them for their great work.”

When the motorcycle debuts during the IU Homecoming parade, its bright red finish and sidecar will stand out among the rest of the vehicles in IUPD’s motorcycle unit. The police department’s motorcycles are used often at large events like football games to support traffic enforcement and escorts. The motorcycles also draw interest during community events when officers help children hop on and get their photo taken.

“We are incredibly grateful for J T. and Martha’s generosity and their indelible support of the IU Police Department,” said Benjamin Hunter, associate vice president and superintendent for public safety. “Community engagement is a top priority for our organization, and this unique addition to our motorcycle unit will enhance events where our officers are building important connections with the communities we serve.”

In addition to the motorcycle unit, IUPD K9s Cash, Indy and Honey will be walking in the parade and stopping along the route for scratches behind their ears.