Latest news with #Hoosiers'
Indianapolis Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
First IHSAA boys finals a showcase: 'The whole state has just blown up in volleyball'
WEST LAFAYETTE – If there was any question if the movie 'Hoosiers' still holds relevance almost 40 years after it premiered — or if the underdog story could translate to another sport — look no further than Mackey Arena on Saturday. Lake Central boys volleyball coach Naveed Nizam, looking for a little inspiration for his longshot team, had players measure the volleyball net at Mackey Arena. The height: Seven feet, 11 ½ inches. 'I think you'll find that's the exact same measurements as our gym back at Lake Central.' OK, Nizam did not say that exactly. But you get the idea. It was a day of new traditions with a nod to the old at Purdue University, where the Indiana High School Athletic Association hosted the first sanctioned boys volleyball state finals. Roncalli (30-3) took home the first state IHSAA championship by defeating Cathedral 25-14, 25-22, 25-23 in a three-set sweep Saturday night. It was Roncalli's fourth consecutive state championship with the previous three coming under the banner of the Indiana Boys Volleyball Coaches Association. 'You look how far we've come in the past couple years and now we're getting these boys who have bought into the program,' Roncalli coach Nick Jennings said. 'We used to get a basketball player, a football player — maybe it was their secondary sport. But now these boys are fully committing to us, and it really elevates the whole gym. The whole state has just blown up in volleyball.' Many of the 133 teams in the inaugural state tournament, like Lake Central, are in the still early growth stages. The Indians advanced to the state finals as a third-year team that started out as an intramural program. Lake Central (30-7) was ranked No. 12 in the state but with all but two of its players graduating, should be on the cusp of some better days ahead. 'Where we've gone this far and what we've accomplished, I think, is a miracle in such a short amount of time,' said Nizam, who had his team stay to watch the championship match after losing 25-11, 25-10, 25-15 to Cathedral in the first semifinal. Where Lake Central hopes to go was represented by the team across the net, Cathedral, and the squads that followed on Saturday in the second semifinal: Roncalli and Fishers. Those teams, ranked No. 1 (Roncalli), No. 2 (Cathedral) and No. 3 (Fishers), put a powerful show in the inaugural event. After Cathedral defeated Lake Central in the first semifinal, Roncalli was pushed to the brink twice, trailing Fishers 14-12 in the fifth and decisive set before rallying for a 22-25, 25-14, 25-21, 17-25, 16-14 victory. The intense back-and-forth showdown, filled with laser-sharp kills, timely blocks and a dramatic finish, could be packaged and sent out by the IHSAA as a showcase video for boys volleyball, which has previously been played as a club sport before it gained emerging status from the IHSAA three years ago. 'It gets the nerves going,' said Roncalli senior setter Matthew Dial. 'I came running over after the game to my family and my hands were shaking because I was so excited. There was so much energy that it can really bring people into the sport when they see this. It's just cool to see.' Though the sport is new to the IHSAA, it is a bit of a misnomer to call programs like Roncalli and Cathedral newcomers. Cathedral has had a boys volleyball program for 32 years and Roncalli has developed into a dynasty in recent seasons. Saturday's championship match was a rematch of Roncalli's five-set state title victory over the Irish at Hinkle Fieldhouse. 'Just knowing it's the first chance for an IHSAA state title was something nice,' Cathedral senior middle hitter Ryan Peterson said. 'We've thought about that along the journey.' Cathedral senior setter Nick Whitley said he started playing volleyball when he was 10 years old and 'kind of fell in love with the sport from there.' Even then, it was more of a side venture for Whitley, who said he fell in love with volleyball the more he played. Peterson, who is 6-8, played basketball until eighth grade. 'I did a lot of sports,' Peterson said. 'Football, baseball, basketball, swimming. But after eighth grade, I realized I loved volleyball a lot more.' Peterson and Whitley said as soon as they walked into Mackey Arena on Saturday, the energy was different. 'We played in Hinkle Fieldhouse last year and it was a massive step up from freshman and sophomore year playing in regular high school gyms (at state),' Whitley said. 'Playing in an arena like this is super awesome and really exciting.' Cathedral coach Tyler McClure, in his fifth year as coach at Cathedral, played for the Irish and was an assistant prior to his role as head coach. He has watched first-hand at Cathedral how the players who once had volleyball as a secondary sport 'now come in ready to play.' 'Kids come in as freshman ready to go,' McClure said. 'You aren't starting from zero. You are starting with a little bit of a base.' Roncalli had to survive thrilling semifinal matchup against Fishers just to make it to the championship game. Fishers (31-5), looking to close out Roncalli for the second time this season in five sets, took control of the fifth set to take a 14-12 lead. But the Royals would not be denied, taking the final four points. 'That game was so fun,' said Roncalli senior outside hitter Eli Berger, who led the Royals with 13 kills in the title match. 'You go out there, work your butt off and it just comes down to who works harder, who is there for the ball and who is ready to win. Last time we played them, we played like we didn't want to win. This time, we came out and threw some punches.' That down-to-the-wire cliffhanger of a semifinal showed where boys volleyball can go. 'It went from 'oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,' to 'yes, yes, yes,'' Roncalli's Jennings said. 'You live and die with every point. I think (the game) will really grow. I think next year, people will hopefully see this and say, 'I want to be a part of that. That was a lot of fun.''
Los Angeles Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Pat McAfee identifies himself as the ‘somebody' who ‘embarrassed' John Mellencamp at Pacers-Knicks game
Legendary rocker and Indiana native John Mellencamp apologized Thursday 'on behalf of most Hoosiers' for the 'poor, poor sportsmanship' displayed during the Pacers' home win over the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals two days earlier. Although the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. did not call out any specific Indiana sports fan in the statement he posted to X hours before Game 5, Mellencamp seemed to have a particular person in mind — popular ESPN personality Pat McAfee. 'I was embarrassed when somebody, under whose direction I don't know, called out some of the people who had made the trip from New York to support their team — and in turn, support our team,' the 'Hurts So Good' singer wrote. 'The audience booed these people. I'd say that was not Hoosier Hospitality. One could only say it's poor, poor sportsmanship.' Hours after Mellencamp posted his statement, McAfee reposted it on X and identified himself as the one who instigated Pacers fans to behave in such a manner. 'I am 'somebody,'' McAfee wrote. Mellencamp and McAfee were both on hand Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as the Pacers defeated the Knicks 130-121 to take a 3-1 series lead. Addressing the crowd during a fourth-quarter timeout, McAfee called out celebrity Knicks fans Spike Lee, Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet — all of whom were in attendance that night — and encouraged Pacers fans to 'send these sons of b— back to New York with their ears ringing!' Stiller addressed the matter later that night on X, saying he assumed that McAfee was 'playing around' and that all the fans he met at the arena were 'awesome and incredibly cool.' Mellencamp, however, was not happy with the shenanigans. 'I was not proud to be a Hoosier, and I've lived here my entire life,' the singer once known as Johnny Cougar wrote. 'On behalf of most Hoosiers, I would like to apologize for our poor behavior. I'm sure the Pacers had nothing to do with this smackdown.' Mellencamp's use of the 'smackdown' appears to be a thinly veiled reference to McAfee, who is a color commentator and occasional wrestler for WWE. 'Friday Night SmackDown' is one of the organization's signature TV shows. It is unclear why Mellencamp opted to voice his displeasure so long after the incident occurred. Perhaps he plans to be in attendance Thursday night at Madison Square Garden as his Pacers attempt to seal their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2000. One person who won't be there is McAfee, despite a friendly invite from Stiller.
Indianapolis Star
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
100+ free live concerts around central Indiana during summer 2025
One sure-fire way into Hoosiers' hearts is a good, free al fresco concert. Fortunately, central Indiana brims with such shows every summer. From May through September, you have dozens of opportunities to listen to rock, country, indie, pop and jazz from the comfort of your lawn chair or a blanket spread over lush green grass, courtesy of bountiful spring rains. Here are more than 100 free concerts in Indianapolis, Fishers, Noblesville, Carmel, Greenwood, Plainfield, Mooresville, Kokomo, Rushville and more. Some organizations have yet to announce their summer schedules, so bookmark this page and check back for updates. 205 N. College Ave. Full schedule and more information: Concerts are from 2-5 p.m. Saturdays in June and July. Feel free to bring your own food or order it there. Seating runs out quickly, so bring your own chairs. Highlights: Hey, you, on the red carpet: Indy 500 celebs share their favorite car from a movie or TV show Big Car Collaborative/Tube Factory artspace campus, 1125 Cruft St. Full schedule and more information: Multi-genre concerts are from noon to 3 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month through October. Schedule of headliners: At different parks across the city. Check for times, locations and the full schedule. More shows will be announced in the coming weeks. Nickel Plate District Amphitheater, 6 Municipal Drive in Fishers. Full schedule and more info: Concerts on most Tuesdays in June and July. Patrons can bring chairs, blankets and food. First Merchants Pavilion at Federal Hill Commons, 175 Logan St. in Noblesville. Full schedule and more info: Concerts are at 7 p.m. on some Saturdays from June through September. 'Visual language': A look inside the Indigenous Australian art at Newfields' Lume Dillon Park, 6351 Midland Lane in Noblesville. Full schedule and more info: Concerts are at 7 p.m. on most Thursdays in June and July. Carmel Gazebo, 1 Civic Square in Carmel. Full schedule and more info: Concerts are at 7 p.m. Wednesdays from May 28-Sept. 10. Highlights: Carmel Arts & Design District, East Main Street and North Rangeline Road. Concerts start at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Mallow Run Winery, 6964 W. Whiteland Road in Bargersville. Full schedule and more info: Many shows are free between May 24 and Sept. 20. Music starts at 6 p.m. for the following. Highlights: Full schedule: See Mallow Run Winery's 2025 live music lineup and special releases Blue River Memorial Park, 725 Lee Blvd. in Shelbyville. More information: Concerts begin at 7 p.m., mostly on Fridays through Sept. 13. The IndianapoLIST newsletter has the best shows, art and eats — and the stories behind them Greenwood Amphitheater in Craig Park, 300 S. Washington St. in Greenwood. Full schedule and more information: 7 p.m. on most Saturdays between May 31 and Aug. 9. 1251 U.S. Hwy 31 North in Greenwood. More information: Concerts start at 6:30 p.m. most Thursdays at the outdoor fountain. Hummel Park Performing Arts Center, 5373 S. Sugar Grove Road in Plainfield. More information: Concerts start at 7 p.m. mostly on Fridays from June-September. Riverside Park Amphitheater, 302 S. Riverside Drive in Rushville. More information: Concerts start at 7 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) on several Saturdays from June-September. Kokomo Performing Arts Pavilion at Foster Park, 721 W. Superior St. in Kokomo. Full schedule and more information: Several main acts (listed below) will have openers as well. Pioneer Park, 1101 Indianapolis Road in Mooresville. Full schedule and more information: Concerts start at 7 p.m.
Indianapolis Star
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
How 'Operation Bigfoot' brought Hoosier the bison back to life. Why IU finds value in mascot
BLOOMINGTON — For Christmas last winter, Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson's children gifted him something nearly no one else would understand. A clapperboard — the black-and-white apparatus snapped together to signify the start of filming on a movie set — with the words 'Operation Bigfoot' written on the production line. The clapperboard sits on Dolson's desk. Sharp-eyed viewers will have spotted it in the background of a video posted to IU's social media channels Tuesday. Because that was the day Operation Bigfoot went off, and Indiana brought back the bison as its official mascot. The idea of a mascot has steadily gained traction with Indiana fans in recent years. For a little more than a century, Indiana's athletic teams have gone by 'Hoosiers,' a term meant to refer to a native of the state whose origins have long been debated and almost certainly cannot be historically proven. While 'Hoosiers' embodies a certain cultural resonance for IU fans, it's hard to assign a physical manifestation to a word with no universally agreed-upon meaning. Decades ago, for just a few years, drawing on the animal figuring prominently on the state seal, IU tried a bison mascot. It was introduced in 1965 and abandoned by the end of that decade. But it never really went away. Nick's English Hut pound jars still feature a bison image. Fans produced AI-generated graphics depicting an IU bison on social media. 'Bring back the bison' became a rallying cry stretching from podcasts like the popular CrimsonCast, to independent retail, including popular Indianapolis-based company Homefield Apparel. Bring back the bison: A look back at the history of IU's mascot Athletics officials felt that groundswell, which came to a head in December when IU Student Government passed a bill reinstating the bison as the university's official mascot. From that point forward, the department was in. 'The students really pushing it was a big determining factor,' Jeremy Gray, IU senior associate athletic director for strategic communications, told IndyStar. 'It was clear the fan base had really rallied behind the idea.' Department officials settled on the code name 'Operation Bigfoot' as a way to talk about the mascot introduction process in official correspondence while sidestepping premature attention. Dolson firmly supported the idea. His predecessor, Fred Glass, had in a variety of ways softened the ground for bringing a mascot back, and Dolson was excited to see the idea through to reality. Last year's football success, which included Indiana's first Saturday visit from ESPN "College GameDay," brought into relief the value of an identifiable mascot. When legendary "GameDay" analyst (and former IU coach) Lee Corso picked the Hoosiers to beat Washington, Indiana had no mascot headgear for him to pull on as is his custom. Corso opted instead for a hat commemorating his team's 1979 Holiday Bowl victory over BYU. 'Finding something to represent the school in those large, public ways,' Gray said, 'I think it became obvious a mascot could help with that.' No more headgear? Former Indiana football coach Lee Corso will retire as ESPN 'College GameDay' analyst The department met with student groups, including Student Government and IU's Board of Aeons — a student advisory group that works closely with the university president — to discuss ways to introduce the bison to the student body. IU began subtly implanting bison imagery across its branding, with small logos in the corners of video scoreboard graphics and horns crashing through schedule posters for the 2025-26 athletic year. Beginning in 2024, winners of the men's and women's Little 500 bicycle races received plush stuffed bison on the winners' podium. 'We decided to lean into it,' Gray said. A variety of considerations went into the selection and design of 'Hoosier the Bison.' Concerns over staffing, upkeep and animal welfare steered the department away from a live mascot toward the more common option of a person in a suit. IU knew from the outset it wanted a mascot muscular and imposing enough to project a robust image of the department. Able, as Gray put it, 'to win a play fight against a turtle.' But also one that was approachable and endearing to children. Enter graduating senior Adam Day, who last spring built one of his final projects as a student around studying mascots over time. Working alongside department officials, he found the key to giving mascots personal appeal lay in their eyes. Specifically, they needed to be soft and sympathetic, rather than hard, or empty. The department engaged Alinco Costumes in Utah, a company with a history of designing mascots or characters for professional baseball, football and basketball franchises, as well as corporations like Nestle and Disney. Its website claims credit for more than half of the NBA's team mascots. Mark Skirvin, senior assistant athletic director for marketing, worked with Alinco through several rough sketches before settling on a design. And thus, Hoosier was born. He still needed an announcement. Operation Bigfoot went to studio. Gray, a self-professed cinephile, drew inspiration from several movies for a series of videos released across the last several days on IU's official social media channels. 'Something magical happening here': Indiana announces return of bison mascot Gray's own character, Ray, opening a glowing box in the first video nodded to "Pulp Fiction" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Recently graduated IU women's basketball player Sydney Parrish assumed a role akin to Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, from the Alien series, in discovering evidence of a large, unidentifiable creature. In total, the department also included nods to films including "ET," "Pulp Fiction," "Silence of the Lambs," "Scream," "Jurassic Park," "Return of the Jedi," the Marvel series and "The Usual Suspects." The final shot of the mascot standing, back to camera, atop the Memorial Stadium press box drew from the final scene in "The Last of the Mohicans." When IU approached football coach Curt Cignetti about a Roy Schneider's-"Jaws"-inspired scene, he replied, 'Nah, I've got what I want to say.' In his cameo, Cignetti is seen watching film when the silhouette of a bison head appears behind him. Cignetti turns and says simply, 'Where you been?' 'What's in the box?' Indiana trailer has fans wishing for return of the bison mascot Bison-branded products should become available soon, according to Gray. The department's research suggested reintroduction of a mascot would both open meaningful revenue streams (at a time when departments are pursuing more of them) and also capture fans from a young age with a face to assign to IU sports. 'An identifiable mascot is one of a few visual tools a university possesses that can cut through noise and create positive brand association, particularly for youth,' Homefield Apparel founder and CEO (and IU alumnus) Connor Hitchcock said. 'Indiana is capitalizing on a unique opportunity to simultaneously honor its past while creating opportunities for kids to begin their lifelong fandom.' As for the full reveal, fans will have to wait. The mascot will be filled by current students via a tryout, common practice across college athletics. Gray said it's custom not to reveal said students' identities until their tenure concludes. While bison paraphernalia should be available moving into the summer, Tuesday's profile shot from behind of Hoosier surveying the athletics campus in Bloomington might be fans' best look at the real thing for a while. When asked when he would make his first public appearance, Gray responded simply: 'Stay tuned.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Curt Cignetti has 'results to show.' It's helping Indiana football recruiting
Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti hopes success breeds more success. He joined Greg McElroy's "Always College Football" podcast, noting that the Hoosiers' College Football Playoff season in 2024 enabled them to attract top transfers. Advertisement "Without that success, you don't land a Fernando Mendoza or a Pat Coogan, and some of those other guys we were able to get," Cignetti said. Mendoza joined IU from California, where he completed 66.5% of his passes for 4,712 yards, 30 touchdowns and 16 interceptions over two seasons. Coogan, an offensive lineman, came from Notre Dame, which knocked IU out of the CFP. "Where you're seeing it now is in high school recruiting. In the last two or three weeks, we've picked up seven or eight quality commitments," the coach added. Several in-state Class of 2026 players have committed to IU, including Franklin Central defensive lineman Blake Smythe, Crown Point tight end/linebacker Trevor Gibbs and Decatur Central defensive back Kasmir Hicks, who is rated the state's top player. Advertisement Rosters, revenue-sharing: What will Indiana do after House vs NCAA settlement? IU used the transfer portal to a larger degree last year, with more than a dozen players following Cignetti from his previous coaching stop at James Madison. "That's all promises and a vision," he said of building that team. "Now you've got results to show for it." Though the future looks bright, Cignetti acknowledges the common trepidation of coaches. "I have the typical post-Spring anxiety that I always do this summer," he said. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Curt Cignetti Indiana football recruiting, transfer portal pitch has results
