On Wednesday, October 28th, and Kathy Amos will make their predictions for the upcoming season on the 200th and final edition of Doing The Work — our show dedicated to the Indiana women’s basketball team.

Watch on our YouTube channel below. (Open the link in YouTube to see a replay of

the show or chat with the WorkAholics during the show.)

Subscribe to Doing The Work

Subscribe to the Doing The Work podcast for free at any of the following places:

• YouTube

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Google Podcasts

• Art19

• Podcast feed RSS (use this to subscribe in any player)

• Search for “doing the work” wherever you listen to podcasts. If you don’t find us, email Jerod.

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Football continued its conference season with a showdown against Michigan and won in Ann Arbor for the first time since 1967 in an ugly defensive battle where both offenses struggled mightily. A couple of other Big Ten results were equally low-scoring slugfests as well.

Also, the hoops squad at IU looked good again in an exhibition win and has one more contest like that today. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Hoosier sports scene, which was led by volleyball getting back on track with a couple of road wins.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• IU Football Wins Ugly Game Over Michigan

• Minnesota Upsets Iowa In Wild Day Of Big Ten Football

• Hoosier Basketball Dominates North Carolina In Exhibition Contest

• Indiana Hoops Plays Western Kentucky In Final Exhibition Game Today

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Volleyball Bounces Back With Two Road Victories

Banner #1: IU Football Wins Ugly Game Over Michigan

No. 6 IU played another tough game in football in a place they had not won since 1967. Once again, Indiana’s offense struggled mightily for large parts of the game as quarterback Josh Hoover continued to have inaccurate throws and issues processing the field. However, IU’s defense played lights out as usual and bottled up Michigan’s anemic offense.

This led to a low-scoring contest where one big pass could make all the difference in the world. Fortunately, for the Hoosiers, that came from Hoover on the first pass of overtime down the seam to TE Brock Schott inside the five-yard line. This was after a contest where no touchdowns were scored in regulation.

From there, Hoover ran it in to the endzone. After that, in an inverse of last week, it was a Wolverines receiver who caught a ball barely out of bounds on the endzone sideline on their attempt to equalize. This allowed Indiana to survive 13-6 and improve to 7-1 on the year to keep their hopes of a third straight College Football Playoff berth alive.

Afterwards, IU coach Curt Cignetti spoke, Zach Horwitz wrote Five Takeaways, and Ian Plaskoff put together a column about the defensive effort.

Banner #2: Minnesota Upsets Iowa In Wild Day Of Big Ten Football

IU was not the only one to be involved in an ugly low-scoring game. However, unlike the Hoosiers, other top squads lost these contests.

Next week’s Indiana opponent in Minnesota upset Iowa in Minneapolis 13-10 while Oregon fell to Illinois 21-10. In other results, Northwestern rolled over Rutgers while UCLA dominated Michigan State to remain undefeated and on top of the Big Ten.

Banner #3: Hoosier Basketball Dominates North Carolina In Exhibition Contest

IU basketball fans got their second chance to see the squad last Sunday against opposing competition. While the game was not in Bloomington, it was the second of four contests up in Indianapolis this fall as the Hoosiers played North Carolina in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Once again, if this contest was any indication, IU will be much improved. A far superior front line allowed the Hoosiers to dominate the Tar Heels 76-58.

After the game, Hoosier coach Darian DeVries spoke, Inside the Hall had a photo gallery, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After, Alex Bozich provided Five Takeaways, and Ian Plaskoff and Zach Horowitz put together columns about the victory.

Banner #4: Indiana Hoops Plays Western Kentucky In Final Exhibition Game Today

While the Hoosiers will remain in the state of Indiana for one more exhibition today, it will be a rare time when it will not take place in Bloomington, Indianapolis, or even West Lafayette. Instead, IU steps down a level in competition to play Western Kentucky in Evansville at the Ford Center.

The contest tips off at 4 pm on BIG+ and a few tickets remain. Also, Devries spoke about the game earlier this week.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Volleyball Bounces Back With Two Road Victories

• Volleyball got back on track with two road sweeps at Washington and Ohio State.

• Men’s soccer beat Ohio State but tied Northwestern.

• Swimming and diving beat Kentucky and USC.

• Field hockey was edged by Penn State.

• Women’s soccer got dominated by archrival Purdue.

• Wrestling had an athlete compete at the U23 World Championships.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Football continued its conference season with a showdown against Ohio State and lost for the first time in nearly two years. Meanwhile, IU basketball won an exhibition game last Sunday and has another one today as competitive contests are here.

Also, the hoops squad bagged a future recruit and projections for this year for them. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Indiana sports scene, which was led by an announcement of sponsorship on jerseys department-wide.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• IU Football Loses Thriller To Ohio State That Ends 22 Game Win Streak

• Hoosier Basketball Dominates Butler In Exhibition Game

• Indiana Hoops Gets Commitment From 2029 Recruit

• IU is 47th In KenPom To Open Season, Nine Seed In NCAA Bracketology

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Sponsorship Jersey Patches Coming To All IU Uniforms

Banner #1: IU Football Loses Thriller To Ohio State That Ends 22 Game Win Streak

IU played its toughest game of the season in football and arguably the biggest game in Memorial Stadium history. The atmosphere and fans in the stadium created a hostile environment for the opposition. Also, for the first time in years, the Hoosiers had nearly all supporters in their own venue, and the number of traveling Ohio State fans was cut to a small fraction of the past.

Once again, though, Indiana struggled mightily on offense for large parts of the game as quarterback Josh Hoover continued to have inaccurate throws and issues processing the field. However, IU’s defense played lights out and bottled up Buckeye QB Julian Sayin and the nation’s top WR in Jeremiah Smith.

This led to a low-scoring contest where the Hoosiers needed a score on their final drive. However, WR Nick Marsh could not get his foot down by inches on what would have been a game-winning touchdown on a throw that led him to close to the sideline.

Because of this, Ohio State held on 19-15, and Indiana fell to 6-1 this fall and had their 22-game win streak snapped. The last loss before Saturday came nearly two years ago in December of 2024 to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff.

Afterwards, IU coach Curt Cignetti spoke, Inside the Hall had a photo gallery, Zach Horwitz wrote Five Takeaways, and Ian Plaskoff put together a column about the end of the winning streak.

Banner #2: Hoosier Basketball Dominates Butler In Exhibition Game

IU basketball fans got their first chance to see the squad last Sunday against opposing competition. While the game was not in Bloomington, it was the first of four contests up in Indianapolis this fall as the Hoosiers played at Butler in Hinkle Fieldhouse, and plenty of Indiana fans were in the crowd.

If this contest was any indication, IU will be much improved with a far superior front line as the Hoosiers dominated 96-68 over the Bulldogs. Fans will get another chance to see the squad in the Circle City today when IU takes on North Carolina today at 5 pm with plenty of tickets left.

After the game against Butler, Hoosier coach Darian DeVries spoke, Inside the Hall had a photo gallery, and Ian Plaskoff provided Five Takeaways.

Banner #3: Indiana Hoops Gets Commitment From 2029 Recruit

The Hoosiers picked up a commitment for down the road. It is a local kid for 2029 in the form of Micah Mohler.

While Mohler has no stars or ranking yet, he had an offer from archrival Purdue. He averaged over 20 points a game for his high school in Austin, Indiana.

Banner #4: IU is 47th In KenPom To Open Season, Nine Seed In NCAA Bracketology

While the game against Butler would seem to indicate the Hoosiers could be much better, IU opens the season at just 47th in the KenPom Rankings. They are also a nine seed in bracketology according to Joe Lunardi.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, Alex Bozich is joined by Assembly Call’s own Brian Tonsoni to discuss IU basketball.

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Sponsorship Jersey Patches Coming To All IU Uniforms

• IU announced a jersey patch program with Merchants Bank that will see sponsorship from them on the uniforms of all 24 sports. The company already has the naming rights to the field itself at Memorial Stadium.

• Men’s soccer suffered its first loss of the fall to Rutgers.

• Field hockey topped Ohio but fell to Northwestern.

• Volleyball continued its sudden rough patch, losing to USC as well as Oregon.

• Women’s soccer tied USC but lost to Michigan State.

• Men’s golf finished fourth at the Purdue Fall Invitational.

• Women’s golf won the Illinois Invitational at Medinah.

• Swimming and diving competed at the CSL Match 5.

• Cross Country competed at the Pre-Nationals.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Football continued its conference season with a showdown against Nebraska. Meanwhile, IU basketball has an exhibition game today as competitive contests are here. This comes after media day for the sport and the Hoosiers scoring a big recruiting win.

Also, the times and television assignments for the hoops schedule were finalized, and Inside the Hall continued a series previewing the top basketball players in the Big Ten. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Indiana sports scene, which was led by men’s soccer remaining undefeated.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• IU Football Completes Comeback To Edge Nebraska In Thriller

• Hoosier Basketball Opens Exhibition Season Against Butler Today After Media Day And Star Recruit Commits

• Tip Times And TV Assignments Announced For Basketball Schedule

• Inside The Hall’s Conference Basketball Player Preview

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Men’s Soccer Remains Undefeated

Banner #1: IU Football Completes Comeback To Edge Nebraska In Thriller

Top-10 ranked IU played its first tough road game of the season in football. The atmosphere and fans in the stadium created a hostile environment that kept the Hoosiers on their toes.

With Indiana struggling mightily and trailing 17-6 in the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers dug deep. While quarterback Josh Hoover continues to have a few inaccurate throws each game, he also made some clutch ones.

None of them more so than his two fourth-quarter touchdowns to WR Nick Marsh to take the lead for the first time all afternoon. From there, the IU defense buckled down and finally managed to keep Nebraska dual-threat QB Anthony Colandrea in the pocket and make him uncomfortable after he tore the Hoosiers apart in the first half.

In the end, Indiana beat Nebraska 20-17 to improve to 6-0 this fall and win their 22nd game in a row overall. The last loss came in December of 2024 to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff nearly two years ago. The biggest test of the year comes next week back in Bloomington when IU takes on Ohio State at noon.

Afterwards, IU coach Curt Cignetti spoke, Alex Bozich wrote Five Takeaways, and Ian Plaskoff put together a column about the Hoosiers’ gutsy win.

Banner #2: Hoosier Basketball Opens Exhibition Season Against Butler Today After Media Day And Star Recruit Commits

IU basketball fans get their first chance to see the squad today against opposing competition, which is something returnee Trent Sisley and transfer Jaeden Mustaf are looking forward to. While the game is not in Bloomington, it is the first of four contests up in Indianapolis this fall as the Hoosiers play at Butler in Hinkle Fieldhouse at 6:30 pm on WISH-TV locally, and a few tickets remain available.

This game follows the Big Ten’s Media Day in Chicago that took place earlier this week. Here, IU coach Darian DeVries spoke as did several players, and Indiana was picked ninth in an unofficial poll at the event. The women’s basketball squad also had a day here.

This came after the Hoosiers bagged a massive recruiting win. Five-star big man Darius Wabbington, who is ranked in the top-15 of the 2027 class according to 247Sports, committed to Indiana.

Banner #3: Tip Times And TV Assignments Announced For Basketball Schedule

The IU basketball schedule was announced several weeks ago. However, now the times and TV assignments are known to go with it. This includes 12 games on BTN and BIG+, 11 on Fox and FS1, six on Peacock and NBCSN, and five on CBS.

Also, the women’s basketball squad had their TV schedule announced as well. They will make eight national TV appearances, with five of those on BTN.

Banner #4: Inside The Hall’s Conference Basketball Player Preview

Inside the Hall continued its series previewing the top players in the Big Ten for the hardwood. This week, players ranked 20-11, 10-6, and 5-1 were looked at, with another Hoosier included.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, Alex Bozich is joined by Josh Pos to discuss IU Football.

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Men’s Soccer Remains Undefeated

• No. 2 Men’s soccer stayed undefeated, knocking off Kentucky and Hanover out of conference.

• No. 13 Field hockey topped Ohio State.

• No. 15 Volleyball won at Rutgers but fell to top-ranked Nebraska.

• Women’s soccer fell to Michigan as well as UCLA.

• No. 2/5 Swimming and diving beat Northwestern but fell to top-ranked Texas.

• Men’s golf finished 10th at the Fighting Irish Classic as well as individuals competing at the Golfweek Invitational.

• Women’s golf finished tied for 12th at the Ally Invitational.

• Men’s tennis competed in the exhibition Louisville Invitational.

• Women’s tennis competed in the exhibition Hoosier Classic tournament.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Football continued its conference season against Rutgers. Meanwhile, IU basketball had an intrasquad scrimmage as competitive games draw ever nearer.

Also, the Big Ten announced a new eligibility rule, and Inside the Hall started a series previewing the top basketball players in the league. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the IU sports scene, which was led by men’s soccer remaining undefeated.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• IU Football Blasts Rutgers

• Hoosier Basketball Opens Season With Scrimmage

• Big Ten Passes Rule Prohibiting Players Who Sign Pro Contracts

• Inside The Hall’s Conference Basketball Player Preview

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Volleyball Wins Big Ten Opener

Banner #1: IU Football Blasts Rutgers

IU played its first road game of the season in football. However, the atmosphere and road fans in the stadium created an environment very similar to what Bloomington used to be until current coach Curt Cignetti showed up.

With Rutgers struggling mightily this season, Indiana raced to a huge lead and won going away 47-15 to improve to 5-0 before the really tough portions of the schedule hit beginning next week. The Hoosiers used the ground game to destroy the Scarlet Knights, with Turbo Richard rushing for over 200 yards and Lee Beebee Jr. for over 100.

While quarterback Josh Hoover continues to have a few inaccurate throws each game and the secondary is allowing too many chunk plays, the possibility for a return to the playoffs is still high. This is because elite skill positions and trench play provide optimism.

Banner #2: Hoosier Basketball Opens Season With Scrimmage

IU basketball fans got their first chance to see the squad this last week. While the glitz of Hoosier Hysteria was not part of it, the new-look team nonetheless held a scrimmage on Friday night that was open to fans. Inside the Hall’s Ian Plaskoff provided observations of how the players looked there.

Samet Yigitoglu is amongst the new transfers expected to make an impact, and fans will have more chances this month to see him and his teammates soon. Along with exhibition games each Sunday in October beginning on the 11th, the 27th of this month will have another free opportunity with the annual Haunted Hall of Hoops.

Banner #3: Big Ten Passes Rule Prohibiting Players Who Sign Pro Contracts

The saga of who is eligible at IU based on the NCAA’s new rules continues with various court battles. However, the Big Ten cleared up a major part of this by announcing that players who have signed any WNBA or WNBA, or G-League contracts cannot compete in the conference.

However, Indiana’s Sam Alexis, who is fighting for eligibility, appears to remain exempt. While he competed in the summer league, those players who didn’t sign with an American pro squad after it appear to be in the clear. His ability to play will be determined by the ongoing court battles he and many other athletes are facing.

Banner #4: Inside The Hall’s Conference Basketball Player Preview

Inside the Hall began a series previewing the top players in the Big Ten for the hardwood. This week, players ranked 40-31 and 30-21 were looked at, with one Hoosier included.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Volleyball Wins First Two Big Ten Games

• Men’s soccer stayed undefeated knocking off Maryland.

• Field hockey topped Michigan State.

• Volleyball fell in a close one to elite Wisconsin.

• Women’s soccer fell to Northwestern.

• Cross country competed at the Notre Dame Invitational.

• Men’s golf finished tied for fifth at the Windon Memorial Classic.

• Wrestling announced its upcoming winter schedule.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

On Thursday, October 8th, and Kathy Amos will preview the Big Ten season with special guest, Austin Render, on the next edition of Doing The Work — our show dedicated to the Indiana women’s basketball team.

Watch on our YouTube channel below. (Open the link in YouTube to see a replay of

the show or chat with the WorkAholics during the show.)

Subscribe to Doing The Work

Subscribe to the Doing The Work podcast for free at any of the following places:

• YouTube

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Google Podcasts

• Art19

• Podcast feed RSS (use this to subscribe in any player)

• Search for “doing the work” wherever you listen to podcasts. If you don’t find us, email Jerod.

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Football returned to taking center stage this week. IU opened the conference season against Northwestern and pulled out a win despite some struggles across the board. Outside of Bloomington, the Big Ten had a wild day of league results on Saturday.

Also, Indiana got an update on athletes fighting for their eligibility and the basketball Hoosiers are hosting a scrimmage. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the IU sports scene, which was led by volleyball opening conference play with victories.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Football Struggles But Wins Conference Opener

• Iowa Wins On Last Play As Part Of Wild Day In Big Ten

• Daley, Wyatt And Alexis Are Eligible For Now

• Basketball To Host Public Intrasquad Scrimmage On Friday

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Volleyball Wins Big Ten Opener

Banner #1: Football Struggles But Wins Conference Opener

Top-five IU football’s defense of its national title continued on Friday at Memorial Stadium. After their victory over Western Kentucky, Northwestern came calling to Bloomington, as the Hoosiers are once again expected to be near the top of the conference and amongst the best teams in college football.

IU’s sold-out crowd responded to the challenge. However, facing a familiar foe in QB Aiden Chiles, his Wildcats gave the Hoosiers everything they could handle for all 60 minutes. QB Josh Hoover was again not sharp or accurate, missing several throws early that stalled drives. However, the defense held tight through halftime as Indiana led 12-0 into the locker room.

Then in the final 30 minutes, the script completely flipped. The offense got stronger, but the defensive secondary fell apart as Chiles carved the Hoosier defense up. In the end, aided by a facemask penalty, RB Lee Beebe Jr., and an early safety, Indiana barely found a way to eke out a 29-23 win. While the offensive skill positions and trench play look ready to contend for another title, the ceiling of this squad will depend on improved quarterback and defensive secondary play going forward as they are struggling at times.

Afterward, IU Coach Curt Cignetti spoke, and Inside the Hall had a photo gallery. Also, Ian Plaskoff wrote a column, and Zach Horowitz had five takeaways about the victory.

Finally, earlier in the week, the program held media availability before the contest. Cignetti gave his weekly update at a press conference. Also, star WR Charlie Becker and LB Isiah Jones were the players who spoke. Also, Jones joined former Hoosier Rhett Lewis on the Under the Hood podcast last week.

Banner #2: Iowa Wins On Last Play As Part Of Wild Day In Big Ten

IU was not the only one in the conference to take part in a close game, as a handful of tight contests occurred both in the Big Ten and nationally. The highlight of the day was Michigan losing to Iowa on a long touchdown on the final play of the game. This is a reverse of how the Wolverines controversially won in week one.

Also, Wisconsin came back from a huge deficit to upset Penn State, and Oregon outscored USC in a heavyweight shootout. Meanwhile, in blowouts, Ohio State easily defeated Illinois, UCLA had no problems with Maryland, and Nebraska dominated Michigan State. In a non-conference result between Indiana squads, Notre Dame had a simple victory over Purdue.

Banner #3: Daley, Wyatt And Alexis Are Eligible For Now

The saga of who is eligible at IU based on the NCAA’s new rules continued this week. After being ineligible against Western Kentucky, a Monroe County judge issued a temporary restraining order allowing all local athletes fighting for a fifth year to play for now, including Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt.

The NCAA will almost certainly appeal the ruling. However, for now, all these players will be allowed to compete. Amongst the other names, this impacts are volleyball star Avry Tatum, who returned to the lineup Saturday night, as well as basketball’s Sam Alexis, whose season has not started.

Banner #4: Basketball To Host Public Intrasquad Scrimmage On Friday

Speaking of basketball, fans’ first chance to see the squad will be this week. While the glitz of Hoosier Hysteria will not be part of it, the new-look team will nonetheless scrimmage on Friday at 6 pm with doors opening at 4:30 pm and it’s open to the public.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, Inside the Hall’s own Zach Horowitz discussed the eligibility situation with Daley and Wyatt.

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Volleyball Wins First Two Big Ten Games

• No. 18 IU Volleyball opened up conference play with victories over UCLA and Maryland.

• No. 2 Men’s soccer knocked off Penn State.

• No. 18 Field hockey upset No. 13 Michigan this week. However, they fell to No. 2 Iowa.

• Women’s soccer fell to both Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Bloomington saw a week of major news stories. Football beat Western Kentucky, the basketball conference schedule was announced, and IU hoops got a commit in recruiting.

Also, the Hoosiers are picked seventh in conference play. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Indiana sports scene, which was led by field hockey pulling a major upset.

In a brief headline, a former Hoosier basketball star will be inducted into the IU Athletics Hall of Fame. Jared Jeffries is amongst a group of former Hoosier players in various sports to receive this honor.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Football Pulls Away Late From Western Kentucky After Early Struggles

• IU Basketball Announces Conference Schedule

• Hoosiers Land Recruiting Commit

• Indiana Picked To Finish Seventh In Big Ten By Lindy’s

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Field Hockey Upsets No. 2 Iowa On Road

Banner #1: Football Pulls Away Late From Western Kentucky After Early Struggles

IU football’s defense of its national title continued on Saturday at Memorial Stadium with that side of the ball leading the way. After their victory over Howard, Western Kentucky came calling to Bloomington, as the Hoosiers are once again expected to be near the top of the conference and amongst the best teams in college football.

The question was not if Indiana would win, but how they would look in doing it. While the competition level must be taken into account, the defense looked solid again this week, pitching back-to-back shutouts in a 38-0 victory. The only question mark was QB Josh Hoover, who was not sharp or accurate, missing several throws that stalled drives. Nonetheless, Charlie Becker bailed out Hoover with a 79-yard touchdown catch on a less-than-perfect throw and continued to show he is arguably the best WR in the country.

Afterward, IU Coach Curt Cignetti spoke, and Inside the Hall had a photo gallery. Earlier in the week, the program held media availability before the contest. Cignetti gave his weekly update at a press conference. Also, RB’s Lee Beebe Jr. and Turbo Richard, as well as defensive back Preston Zachman (all three had huge games Saturday), were the players who spoke.

Banner #2: IU Basketball Announces Conference Schedule

The basketball Hoosiers already knew their pre-Big Ten slate. However, the conference schedule was announced this week, filling in all the dates for the entire 2026-2027 season (with game times revealed later).

It begins with Rutgers in Assembly Hall and a trip to Iowa in the yearly December league contests. It then resumes in early January when USC comes to Bloomington before Indiana’s west coast swing to Oregon and Washington. The matchups with arch-rival Purdue are late this season, with the game on IU’s campus on Feb. 16 and then the showdown in West Lafayette on March 5 to close Big Ten play.

Also, the women’s squad announced their conference schedule as well. Theirs begins at Northwestern on Dec. 5 and concludes with hosting Nebraska on Feb. 27. Additionally, the program revealed they will hold their 10th annual Candy Stripe Crew on Oct. 18.

Banner #3: Hoosiers Land Recruiting Commit

Indiana landed its second commit for the 2027 class this week. IU coach Darian DeVries showed he values German big man by picking up a pledge from that countries Felix Kiehlneker. He joins incoming freshman Clemens Sokolov from there.

Kiehlneker is also the second player to announce he will play his college ball in Bloomington for next year. Chase Branham is the other player in the class so far.

Banner #4: Indiana Picked To Finish Seventh In Big Ten By Lindy’s

The Big Ten saw massive roster turnover across multiple programs, including IU. As a result, Indiana is expected to be much improved and make a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022-2023. Also, two different publications picked the Hoosiers to finish seventh in the conference for 2026-2027.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, the IndyStar's Zach Osterman discussed IU football, including a new book he co-wrote about the program’s turnaround to win a national title.

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

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Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Field Hockey Upsets No. 2 Iowa On Road

• Field hockey upset No. 2 Iowa this week. They also topped Ball State.

• Men’s soccer shut out Washington 1-0.

• Volleyball beat Coastal Carolina as well as NC State. Also, they had an athlete honored by the Big Ten.

• Women’s soccer fell to Ohio State.

• Cross country competed at the John McNichols Invitational.

• Baseball will host Boo at the Bart on Oct. 25.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Once again, the major news story in Bloomington happened on the gridiron this week as Indiana football continued its defense of its national title against Howard. That side of the ball looked ready to roll in another dominant win.

Also, a rundown of conference football scores, a potential basketball Hoosier was featured in a magazine, and a Big Ten basketball roster preview. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the IU sports scene, which was led by men’s soccer opening conference play with a victory.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Football Shuts Out Howard

• Big Ten Football Rundown

• Sam Alexis on Lindy’s Regional Cover

• Big Ten Basketball Roster Preview

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Men’s Soccer Wins Big Ten Opener

Banner #1: Football Shuts Out Howard

IU football’s defense of its national title continued on Saturday at Memorial Stadium with that side of the ball leading way. After their victory over North Texas, Howard came calling to Bloomington, as the Hoosiers are once again expected to be near the top of the conference and amongst the best teams in college football.

The question was not if Indiana would win, but how they would look in doing it. While the competition level must be taken into account, Rolijah Hardy and the defense looked much improved this week, allowing just four first downs all day in a 55-0 victory. The only slight question mark was QB Josh Hoover, who was solid, but less sharp and accurate than week one. Nonetheless, Charlie Becker bailed out Hoover with three touchdown catches on less-than-perfect throws with a couple of them and continued to show he is arguably the best WR in the country.

Afterward, IU Coach Curt Cignetti spoke, and Inside the Hall had a photo gallery. Also, Ian Plaskoff wrote a column about the improvements the team made this week.

Earlier in the week, the program held media availability before the contest. Cignetti gave his weekly update at a press conference and had his weekly radio show. Also, Hardy and Becker were the players who spoke.

Banner #2: Big Ten Football Rundown

While the Big Ten was expected to have a solid week as a whole on the gridiron, it didn’t go completely as planned in high-profile matchups outside of a few exceptions. While Michigan as well as Iowa scored massive power-four victories for the league, and UCLA got a solid performance against San Diego State, others were less lucky.

In other big-time games for the league, Oregon suffered an embarrassing loss to Oklahoma State, who were on a long losing streak, while Ohio State blew a 20-point lead late against Texas. Other games against high-level competition also were a problem as Illinois was edged by Duke, Minnesota was blown out by Mississippi State, Purdue lost a heartbreaker to Wake Forest, and Rutgers was edged by Boston College.

Banner #3: Sam Alexis on Lindy’s Regional Cover

In a sign of the times, IU is still not sure if Sam Alexis will get a fifth year of eligibility as his case plays out in the courts. However, Lindy’s Sports still put him as a featured athlete on their regional cover that will be sold in Indiana.

Banner #4: Big Ten Basketball Roster Preview

The Big Ten saw massive roster turnover across multiple programs, including IU. As a result, Inside the Hall looked at where each team’s personnel stands heading into this fall.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Men’s Soccer Wins Big Ten Opener

• Men’s Soccer opened up Big Ten play with a victory over Michigan after a dominant performance against Denver earlier in the week.

• Women’s soccer beat Ohio on the road and opened their conference year with a dramatic late win at Nebraska.

• Field hockey beat Central Michigan as well as Cornell.

• Volleyball beat Southern Indiana, Cal Poly, and Eastern Illinois, but fell to Tennessee.

• Baseball’s fall exhibition practices are underway.

• Swimming and Diving had three Hoosiers named to the U.S. Junior National Team.

• Rowing made an addition to its coaching staff.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

The major news story in Bloomington happened on the gridiron this week as Indiana football began its defense of its national title against North Texas. The offense looked ready to roll in a dominant win.

Also, a former Hoosier wants to return to the NBA, IU’s legendary announcer had a new documentary debut about him, and a Big Ten basketball roster preview. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the Hoosier sports scene, which was led by volleyball getting two huge victories over the SEC conference.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Football Dominates North Texas In Season Opener

• Victor Oladipo Wants Another Chance In NBA

• Don Fischer Documentary Debuts

• Big Ten Basketball Roster Preview

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Volleyball Picks Up Two Huge Wins Over SEC

Banner #1: Football Dominates North Texas In Season Opener

IU football’s defense of its national title kicked off Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers are once again expected to be near the top of the conference and amongst the best teams in college football.

With expectations so high, Indiana opened its season with a showdown against North Texas as the heavy favorite. The program even held media availability last week before the contest. Curt Cignetti gave his weekly update, and Inside the Hall had a full transcript of his quotes.

In terms of players, offensive tackle Carter Smith, linebacker Isaiah Jones, and defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker were at the podium. Inside the Hall had a full transcript of their quotes.

With a veteran-laden squad, as well as excellent depth, including Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt for now, Indiana rolled to a 52-16 victory over the Mean Green in front of a sellout crowd. While the defense surprisingly struggled and Indiana’s trench play looked rusty, other areas thrived.

The offense and TCU transfer QB Josh Hoover was fantastic, going 13-for-16 with four touchdowns. Also, WR’s Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh looked in midseason form with tough touchdown grabs, and new RB Turbo Richard looked excellent as well.

Afterward, Cignetti spoke, and Inside the Hall had a photo gallery as a championship celebration took place pregame to reveal the new marquee in the stadium showing the national championship won in 2025. IU returns to action next week at noon on BTN against Howard.

Banner #2: Victor Oladipo Wants Another Chance In NBA

Former IU star Victor Oladipo had a turbulent NBA career. After starring for the Hoosiers and leading them to the number one ranking in the country during 2012-2013, he was drafted into the league by the Magic.

He initially lived up to the hype, having a solid career in Orlando and Oklahoma City. However, his big break appeared to come in 2017 when he was traded in the offseason back to Indiana and became the Pacers’ primary star during the next year. He led them to a near upset of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs and was named the league’s most improved player, averaging a career-high 23.1 points per game.

However, despite being embraced by the fans back home and appearing to be the next franchise cornerstone as a two-time All-Star, the following season changed his trajectory forever. On January 23 of 2019, he went down on a fast break in a game against the Raptors with a ruptured quadriceps tendon.

After this, he was never the same player again, losing a step in his athleticism and continually suffering injuries. Eventually, he was forced out of the league and played in China for a brief time.

He was since given a chance in G League last season. However, he recently penned a letter in the Player’s Tribune to GM’s asking for one more chance in the NBA, believing he is now healthy at 34 years old.

Whether anyone takes a flier on him remains to be seen. With that said, he remains one of the most beloved Indiana players of recent times between his stints with IU and the Pacers as their go-to contributor while there.

Banner #3: Don Fischer Documentary Debuts

IU legendary broadcaster Don Fischer had a documentary about him released recently. The lead producer and writer is Mark Alesia for the film Timeless: Don Fischer’s half-century broadcasting IU sports.

It debuted at Assembly Hall recently and is an Indiana Public Media production. It can be viewed on YouTube here.

Banner #4: Big Ten Basketball Roster Preview

The Big Ten saw massive roster turnover across multiple programs, including IU. As a result, Inside the Hall looked at where each team’s personnel stands heading into this fall.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Volleyball Picks Up Two Huge Wins Over SEC

• Volleyball had a huge week against the SEC, beating Georgia and defending national champ Texas A&M.

• Men’s soccer tied Louisville and beat Cal Poly.

• Field hockey lost to Louisville but beat New Hampshire.

• Women’s soccer fell to St. Louis.

• Women’s golf finished tied for ninth in its season-opening tournament.

• Men’s golf finished tied for 16th in its season-opening tournament.

• Cross country ran its season-opening event with the Sam Bell Invitational.

• Baseball had an incoming recruit receive preseason honors.

• Softball announced its fall exhibition schedule.

• Track and Field announced its upcoming recruiting class.

• Ten IU swimmers made the US National Team.

• Finally, personnel were announced for the Student Athletic Board.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Armstrong Stadium, Where The Soccer Match Was On Thursday Evening

Soccer’s 2026 Season Starts With A Bang, But IU Must Prevent Last Year’s Whimper

BLOOMINGTON — First off, I am back for an eighth season covering Hoosier sports for Assembly Call. While I may not be able to cover quite as many games as in the past, I still plan to write about a handful of matchups throughout the IU athletic season. I also apologize for the late start compared to past years; I was on vacation out of the country when the action got underway.

Turning our attention to the pitch, Indiana is now 3-0 after a 1-0 win over Butler in their third match of the season. The 1-0 score line does not reflect the dominant nature of the home side. Indiana outshot the Bulldogs 33-2 in a match where the opposition sat back and absorbed pressure, parking 9 to 10 men behind the ball for the majority of the night.

IU coach Todd Yeagley said Butler’s strategy may have been more about the game flow then intentional

“I don’t think that was out of design,” Yeagley said. “I think they tried to get after us and press and we just had that much of the ball. If you’re playing the shape they play they are going to naturally to get five on the back line which will get you a little deeper.”

With the victory, the IU soccer team has gotten off to a fast beginning. This quick start is the complete opposite of traditional seasons under Todd Yeagley, when results typically came more slowly early on before a fast finish led to a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Last fall, the script flipped: the Hoosiers started strong but struggled as the year went on in conference play, ultimately exiting the NCAA Tournament in the second round. It was their earliest tournament defeat when chasing a title since 2014. It is imperative this time around that the quick start holds up if Indiana wants to secure a College Cup appearance.

Yeagley said he hopes this season goes well from beginning to end.

“There are a lot of factors that come in honestly,” Yeagley said. “I think we’re always a team that is playing near our best at the end. Our game is tough. So I think our consistency of getting better throughout the season is what I’m proud of. You are always learning from the early games.”

Hoosiers Feature An Uber-Talented, Brand-New Roster

Indiana’s squad has been heavily remade through the transfer portal. This is a massive departure from the past, when the Hoosiers relied almost exclusively on homegrown talent, and reflects the current reality of college sports as a whole.

While stalwarts like Alex Barger, Easton Bogard, Charlie Heuer, and Collins Oduro remain, newcomers Westin Carnevale, Alex Matthews, Nick McHenry, Michael Mroz, Oliver Moller-Jensen, and Stephen Njike fill out an uber-talented side. How quickly the veterans and newcomers continue to gel will determine this team’s ceiling. Early returns are promising, and another year of national title contention appears to be here.

College Soccer Is In Serious Trouble, And It’s Not IU’s Fault

Finally, the elephant in the room is the systemic state of college soccer as a whole. Yeagley has been at the forefront of trying to fix the sport’s structural issues. However, attempts at reform by IU and other elite programs have mostly fallen on deaf ears.

To understand how the game reached this tipping point, it helps to look back. For decades, the NCAA was the primary development pipeline for top American talent. While college soccer was never going to be confused with the World Cup, it offered some of the best organized and most tactical matches in North America.

The Hoosiers were always at the pinnacle of this era. Up until the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloomington was the epicenter of college soccer, boasting eight national championships and a long history of deep College Cup runs. While Indiana’s pedigree remains unchanged, the overall talent pool has shifted. IU still lands the best players who choose the college route, but that tier of talent is now much further down the national hierarchy.

The primary culprit is the compressed fall schedule, which pushed U.S. Soccer to redirect its top prospects toward Major League Soccer (MLS) youth academies. While this aligns with global development models and arguably benefits the players’ long-term growth, it leaves college soccer in a difficult position. The sport is increasingly dominated by second-tier American and international players, resulting in a lower-quality on-field product.

Recognizing this talent drain, Yeagley and several other top college coaches have been increasingly vocal. They argue that crowning a national champion in mid-December—after a compressed season and amid a crowded winter sports calendar—has essentially turned the tournament into a random lottery.

Yeagley has consistently advocated for the “21st-Century Model,” which would split the season across the entire academic year, much like college golf. This shift would eliminate the grueling necessity of playing multiple matches a week, allow for proper training and recovery, and crown a champion in warmer spring weather when the sport can capture a larger share of the media spotlight.

The sport actually trialed this format during the pandemic. In the spring of 2021, Indiana advanced to the national title game in a College Cup that arguably received more public attention in May than any tournament in recent history.

The 21st-Century Model appeared to gain real momentum last offseason when U.S. Soccer firmly threw its support behind the proposal. However, that momentum stalled this summer when the plan was sent back to committee, where it currently sits. Yeagley expressed frustration and bafflement as to why the reforms didn’t cross the finish line as expected.

“I don’t know where it’s going to land,” Yeagley said. “This has been a slippery one from the start. I thought there was a lot of momentum. It’s been remanded and kicked the can back to the committee for more questions to be answered.”

What happens next remains to be seen. With college soccer losing mainstream popularity and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collectives directing funds toward football and basketball, the future of both the Hoosier program and college soccer as a whole is highly uncertain. Until this 21st-Century Model finally becomes a reality, IU fans have every reason to be concerned.

Yeagley emphasized that while the proposal is held up, it is not completely dead—though it remains highly frustrating.

“Those questions have all been answered. I don’t quite understand why it’s been kicked back,” Yeagley said. “It passed the first step, which is the most difficult. It should then go to the Board of Governors and really be quickly pushed through. There were questions from people in that room who have no idea what’s going on in men’s soccer, pushing back, and it becomes very political at that point. It’s not a dead deal, but we’ll be waiting to hear.”

_____________________________________________________________________

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Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Both Indiana basketball and football had major services offer outlooks on their potential for the coming year. They are about what is expected, as football is two weeks away from their season beginning and basketball is about two months from theirs.

Also, football continues fall camp, and Inside the Hall continued a series reviewing each basketball player’s summer. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the IU sports scene, which was led by men’s soccer opening their season with a victory.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Football Ranked Sixth In Preseason AP Poll

• Basketball Hoosiers An Eight Seed In Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology

• Football Continues Fall Camp

• Inside the Hall’s IU Basketball Summer In Review Series

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Men’s Soccer Opens Season With Win Over Notre Dame

Banner #1: Football Ranked Sixth In Preseason AP Poll

IU football’s defense of its national title will kick off early next month at Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers are once again expected to be near the top of the conference and amongst the best teams in college football.

While some may see this ranking as a bit low given their national title last season, Indiana will start the year at No. 6 according to the Associated Press Poll. They also received eight first-place votes.

Banner #2: Basketball Hoosiers An Eight Seed In Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology

The basketball Hoosiers are amongst the many teams in the league to see mass turnover on their basketball roster. With the use of the transfer portal, Indiana is expected to be much improved this upcoming fall and should be safely back in the NCAA Tournament after a three-year absence.

Indeed, Joe Lunardi has IU as an eight seed in his 2027 NCAA Tournament Bracketology. They would face Providence in Charlotte, according to him, with Duke awaiting in the next round.

Banner #3: Football Continues Fall Camp

With expectations so high, Indiana continued fall practice for the upcoming season as the first game comes into view. Indeed, the showdown against North Texas is less than two weeks away, and who will play big roles in this contest and throughout the year is becoming increasingly apparent.

The program held media availability last week. Curt Cignetti gave his weekly update on practice so far this fall, and Inside the Hall had a full transcript of his quotes.

Also, offensive lineman Carter Smith, linebacker Isaiah Jones, and defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker were at the podium. Inside the Hall had a full transcript of their quotes.

Finally, running backs Lee Beebe Jr., Khobie Martin, and Turbo Richard talked this week as high expectations exist at this position. Inside the Hall also had a full transcript of their media availability.

Banner #4: Inside the Hall’s IU Basketball Summer In Review Series

Inside the Hall continued a series reviewing each player’s summer in detail. This week saw the impact transfers looked at, in Aiden Sherrell, Darren Harris, Samet Yigitoglu, Markus Burton, and Jaeden Mustaf.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Men’s Soccer Opens Season With Win Over Notre Dame

• Men’s soccer topped traditional power Notre Dame to open their 2026 season in front of a massive crowd of over 7,000. Also, several Hoosiers received preseason recognition from multiple places.

• Women’s soccer beat Youngstown State and tied Bellarmine.

• Volleyball had a preseason scrimmage. They also added a player.

• Baseball announced its fall exhibition schedule.

• Men’s Tennis announced its fall schedule, as did women’s tennis.

• Wrestling promoted a staff member.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

On Wednesday, and Kathy Amos will preview the Hoosiers’ 2026-27 squad on the next edition of Doing The Work — our show dedicated to the Indiana women’s basketball team.

Watch on our YouTube channel below. (Open the link in YouTube to see a replay of

the show or chat with the WorkAholics during the show.)

Subscribe to Doing The Work

Subscribe to the Doing The Work podcast for free at any of the following places:

• YouTube

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Google Podcasts

• Art19

• Podcast feed RSS (use this to subscribe in any player)

• Search for “doing the work” wherever you listen to podcasts. If you don’t find us, email Jerod.

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

Yet another game was reportedly added to basketball’s nonconference schedule. While it is a buy game against a mid-major, the schedule is nonetheless getting filled in.

Also, Inside the Hall started a series reviewing each basketball player’s summer, a look ahead to Big Ten basketball, and the current Indiana football squad is preparing for its upcoming fall season. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the IU sports scene, which was led by women’s soccer opening the Hoosier’s fall athletic season with a victory.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Western Illinois Added To Non-Conference Schedule

• Inside the Hall’s IU Basketball Summer In Review Series

• Big Ten Basketball Preview

• Football Season Preview

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Women’s Soccer Opens IU’s Athletic Season With Win

Banner #1: Western Illinois Added To Non-Conference Schedule

Indiana basketball’s non-conference schedule continues to take shape. While not a signature game by any means, it nonetheless is another piece to the puzzle for IU outside of conference play.

Western Illinois reportedly becomes the eighth game on the pre-Big Ten slate known. The Leathernecks were just 5-26 in 2025-2026 and are not projected to be much better this upcoming fall.

Banner #2: Inside the Hall’s IU Basketball Summer In Review Series

Inside the Hall began a series reviewing each player’s summer in detail. This week saw some of the younger guys looked at, in Prince-Alexander Moody, Vaughn Karvala, Trevor Manhertz, and Trent Sisley.

Banner #3: Big Ten Basketball Preview

The Hoosiers are amongst the many teams in the league to see mass turnover on their basketball roster. With the use of the transfer portal, Indiana is expected to be much improved this upcoming fall, ranking No. 27 nationally according to Bart Torvik, which is good for seventh in the Big Ten and would put IU safely back in the NCAA Tournament after a three-year absence.

Torvik was not the only one to preview this upcoming season. Several other publications are also looking ahead and have IU and other conference rivals around the same spot nationally.

Banner #4: IU Football Season Preview

Proving Indiana is once again a legitimate championship contender will take place on the field beginning next month. However, they are once again expected to be near the top of the conference and amongst the best in college football.

With expectations so high, Indiana continued fall practice for the upcoming season. The program also held media availability multiple times during the last week as the preparation for the season opener next month continues.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Inside the Hall’s Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, Alex Bozich is joined by Tony Adragna to discuss the upcoming basketball season.

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Women’s Soccer Opens IU’s Athletic Season With Win

• Women’s soccer opened the regular fall athletic season at IU with a victory over Hampton.

• Volleyball is ranked in the top-20 nationally to open the season, which is the first time in program history opening the year in the polls. They seemed to prove they are worthy of that ranking, beating Notre Dame in an exhibition match.

• Men’s soccer announced its final roster for this fall as they open regular season play this week. Also, the promotional schedule for each home game was announced.

• Swimming and diving released their schedule for this upcoming winter. Also, some of the program’s athletes will compete in the Pan Pacific Championships.

• Cross country also announced its upcoming schedule.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

As has happened many times recently, the NCAA lost a court battle regarding player eligibility. This was to Indiana’s benefit as it allowed three key contributors to return to IU across football and men’s basketball.

Also, a look ahead to Big Ten basketball, and the current Indiana football squad is preparing for its upcoming fall season. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the IU sports scene, which was led by volleyball taking part in its Big Ten media day.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• Alexis Confirms Return To IU After Court Ruling Makes Him Eligible

• Wyatt and Dailey Also Confirm Return For IU Football After Court Ruling

• Big Ten Basketball Preview

• Football Season Preview

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Volleyball Takes Part In Big Ten Media Day

Banner #1: Alexis Confirms Return To IU After Court Ruling Makes Him Eligible

Indiana basketball seemingly got a surprise addition to their team for 2026-2027 at a position of desperate need. As it turns out, Sam Alexis was among those fighting for an additional year of eligibility following new NCAA rules that were supposed to take effect in 2027, allowing five seasons of play with no more appeals or redshirts.

However, now a judge has ruled the changes to eligibility must take effect immediately and granted Alexis and others the ability to play in 2026-2027. Alexis then made it known he will choose to play for IU, has which has an open scholarship.

This is an important development for a squad that has two elite frontcourt players coming in from the transfer portal in Aiden Sherrell and Samet Yigitoglu. While this solidifies the starting five, a backup big man was desperately needed, which Alexis fills.

Alexis averaged 8.8 points a game last year and was forced to play a larger role than ideal due to the lack of options at center for Indiana. However, as a backup, he should fill an ideal niche and give the Hoosiers the depth up front they need.

Also, Alexis gives the team a second scholarship player returning from the 2025-2026 roster. He joins rising sophomore Trent Sisley, who showed promise last year.

Banner #2: Wyatt and Dailey Also Confirm Return For IU Football After Court Ruling

As it turns out, Alexis was not the only Hoosier to benefit from the above court decision. While he was the lone IU player on the hardwood to use this to his advantage, the gridiron players benefit as well from the judge’s ruling.

As a result, Indiana football’s already elite defense got a boost with two of last year’s stars announcing their return. This came in the form of defensive linemen Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt, who played a major part in IU’s success last fall.

Banner #3: Big Ten Basketball Preview

The Hoosiers are not the only ones to see mass turnover on their basketball roster. Most other Big Ten schools also will see huge changes to their personnel. However, Indiana has a leg up on their conference rivals by being able to develop chemistry with their recent competition at the FISU American Games in Peru.

Banner #4: IU Football Season Preview

Proving Indiana is once again a legitimate championship contender will take place on the field beginning next month. However, they are once again expected to be near the top of the conference and amongst the best in college football.

With expectations so high, Indiana continued fall practice for the upcoming season. The program also held media availability as the preparation for the season opener next month continues.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Volleyball Takes Part In Big Ten Media Day

• Volleyball took part in the sport’s own Big Ten Media Day next week. Also, the TV schedule for the squad was revealed as the season begins soon.

• Men’s soccer announced a sponsorship with the IU Credit Union. Also, the squad opens the preseason, and its television schedule was revealed.

• Women’s soccer announced new titles for all three assistant coaches and had a trio of players honored by the Big Ten.

• Men’s and women’s golf released their schedule for this upcoming year.

• Water polo is moving back to the CWPA conference for 2028 after a stint in the MPSF.

• Finally, IU athletics as a whole announced a sponsorship agreement with Merchants Bank.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

On Wednesday, and Kathy Amos will talk with Hoosier guard Lenee Beaumont on the next edition of Doing The Work — our show dedicated to the Indiana women’s basketball team.

Watch on our YouTube channel below. (Open the link in YouTube to see a replay of

the show or chat with the WorkAholics during the show.)

Subscribe to Doing The Work

Subscribe to the Doing The Work podcast for free at any of the following places:

• YouTube

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• Google Podcasts

• Art19

• Podcast feed RSS (use this to subscribe in any player)

• Search for “doing the work” wherever you listen to podcasts. If you don’t find us, email Jerod.

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU concluded playing its rare July exhibition basketball games in Peru as part of its foreign tour. This was not the only major story in the world of college sports, as a judge has ruled seniors eligible for next season.

Also, the current Indiana football squad took part in Big Ten Media Days and is preparing for its upcoming fall season. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the IU sports scene, which was led by baseball filling out its coaching staff.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• IU Wins Championship Game Of FISU American Games

• NCAA Rules Seniors Eligible For This Next Season

• Football Takes Part In Big Ten Media Day

• Football Season Preview

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Baseball Fills Out Coaching Staff

Banner #1: IU Wins Championship Game Of FISU American Games

IU normally is months away from playing competitive basketball games in July. However, this summer is an exception, as the Hoosiers, representing the USA, are part of the FISU American Games in Peru.

Showing off their entirely remade team, the Hoosiers dominated lesser competition, winning all games by wide margins, including the tournament finals this last week. The final score was 99-57 in a rematch with the Virgin Islands to win the gold medal.

Indiana head coach Darien DeVries spoke after the win. Also, highlights were posted afterward by Inside the Hall, with the game being streamed on YouTube. Finally, updated stats can be viewed here as well as Five Takeaways from the event.

Banner #2: NCAA Rules Seniors Eligible For This Next Season

After their opening tournament victory, Indiana got a surprise addition to their team in Sam Alexis, who was a contributor on last year’s IU squad to replace the ineligible Samet Yigitoglu, who is the projected big man for this coming season. However, since Yigitoglu does not have American citizenship, he was ineligible to represent the USA as a member of the Hoosiers.

As it turns out, Alexis was among those fighting for an additional year of eligibility following new NCAA rules that take effect next year, allowing five seasons of play with no more appeals or redshirts. However, now a judge has ruled the changes to eligibility must take effect retroactively, which would grant Alexis and others the ability to play in 2026-2027. Whether he will choose to play for Indiana or somewhere else is unclear, but IU has an open scholarship should he return to Bloomington.

Banner #3: Football Takes Part In Big Ten Media Day

The Hoosiers took part in football’s Big Ten Media Day, which featured all 18 schools. IU coach Curt Cignetti spoke following last season’s national championship. Whether Indiana can repeat the performance from the fall of 2025 remains to be seen, but expectations are once again high in Bloomington.

Banner #4: Football Season Preview

Proving Indiana is once again a legitimate championship contender will take place on the field beginning next month. However, they are once again expected to be near the top of the conference and amongst the best in college football.

With expectations so high, Inside the Hall continued previewing each position for the squad separately. This week looked at the running backs, wide receivers, and quarterback.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, Brian Tonsoni crossed over from Assembly Call to discuss IU basketball’s games in Peru.

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Baseball Fills Out Coaching Staff

• Baseball filled out its coaching staff for next spring.

• Volleyball will take part in the sport’s own Big Ten Media Day next week. Also, a couple of players were honored by the conference, and single-game tickets went on sale for home matches.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU is playing rare July exhibition basketball games in Peru as part of its foreign tour. This was not the only major story in the world of Hoosier basketball this week, as additional big games for the pre-Big Ten schedule were learned.

Also, the current Indiana football squad added another top recruit and is preparing for its upcoming fall season. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the IU sports scene, which was led by women’s basketball adding a staff member.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• IU Dominates First Three Peru Games To Advance To Championship Of FISU American Games

• Basketball Adds More Top Games To Schedule For Before Big Ten Play

• Football Bags Another Top Recruit

• Football Season Preview

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Women’s Basketball Adds Staff Member

Banner #1: IU Dominates First Three Peru Games To Advance To Championship Of FISU American Games

IU normally is months away from playing competitive basketball games in July. However, this summer is an exception, as the Hoosiers, representing the USA, are part of the FISU American Games in Peru.

Showing off their entirely remade team, the Hoosiers have dominated lesser competition, winning three games so far by wide margins to advance to the tournament finals. They started the event by rolling over the tournament hosts 115-36 in pool play and followed that up by blasting the US Virgin Islands 120-63 to win the group.

IU did not let up in the semi-finals on Saturday in the knockout round, dominating Chile 107-40 to advance to the championship game. Here they will have a rematch with the same US Virgin Islands squad they faced earlier in the week.

After their opening tournament victory, Indiana got a surprise addition to their team in Sam Alexis, who was a contributor on last year’s IU squad to replace the ineligible Samet Yigitoglu, who is the projected big man for this coming season. However, since Yigitoglu does not have American citizenship, he is ineligible to represent the USA as a member of the Hoosiers.

Indiana head coach Darien DeVries spoke after the opening win over Peru. Also, highlights were posted after each victory by Inside the Hall as the games are being streamed on YouTube. Finally, updated stats can be viewed here.

Banner #2: Basketball Adds More Top Games To Schedule For Before Big Ten Play

Two more premium games were learned about for IU before the Big Ten schedule begins. One will count against Indiana’s record and represent their fourth serious test against a P5 opponent this fall when they take on John Calipari and Arkansas on Nov. 17 at Madison Square Garden in New York. This contest joins the already announced games against Syracuse (Nov. 9), Kentucky (Nov. 20), and Missouri (Dec. 18) as the biggest challenges before conference play that will count towards the squad’s final record.

However, the exhibition schedule will provide quite the tune-up as the NCAA now allows three scrimmage games before actual preseason play begins. The Hoosiers are taking full advantage of this as they announced a road game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Oct. 11 against Butler.

This matchup is the third such exhibition matchup, joining already known games against North Carolina (Oct. 18) and Western Kentucky (Oct. 25) in Evansville. Also, Indiana’s state capital will apparently serve as an unofficial second home for the Hoosiers in 2026-2027 as they will play no less than five games in Indianapolis and potentially more.

The game against the Bulldogs on Butler’s campus joins the contest against the Tar Heels and Orange in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Big Ten Tournament will also take place next spring. Meanwhile, the matchup with the Wildcats will be in Lucas Oil Stadium on Nov. 20.

Banner #3: Football Bags Another Top Recruit

The final big news in Hoosier land this week was on the football field and involved recruiting. Fresh off their commitment from elite WR Monshun Sales, IU Coach Curt Cignetti struck big again.

This time the announcement came for a 2028 prospect and is for the most important position on the gridiron. The pledge came from elite QB target Lukas Prock, who ranks in the top-100 nationally for his class and chose Indiana over Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. His ESPN ranking at No. 87 in the class trails only Sales in terms of where that number stands for the Hoosiers all-time when it comes to recruiting.

Banner #4: Football Season Preview

Once again, the football program at IU is expecting big things this fall. This is after coming off their national championship last winter.

Indeed, most expect little drop-off as Indiana ranks near the top of college football again heading into the fall. As a result, Inside the Hall continued previewing each position for the squad separately. This week looked at the offensive tackles, interior offensive line, and tight ends,

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Hoosier Roundup-Women’s Basketball Adds Staff Member

• Women’s Basketball added a staff member in Sammy Smith, who will be the Team and Recruitment Analyst.

• Field Hockey signed a future recruit.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU played a rare July exhibition basketball game in Bloomington as it prepares for its foreign tour. This was not the only major story in the world of Hoosier sports this week, as Football got a commit from the highest-ranked recruit in program history.

Also, the current Indiana basketball squad is preparing for its upcoming summer tour and a football season preview. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the IU sports scene, which was led by baseball having a player drafted by the MLB.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• IU Beats Canada As Team USA In Exhibition Game In Bloomington

• Monshun Sales Commits To Indiana Football As Highest Ranked Recruit In Program History

• Basketball Prep For Upcoming Peru Trip

• Football Season Preview

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Baseball’s Bergman Drafted By MLB

Banner #1: IU Beats Canada As Team USA In Exhibition Game In Bloomington

IU normally is months away from playing competitive basketball games in Assembly Hall in July. However, this summer is an exception, as the Hoosiers, representing the USA, played Canada this week.

Showing off their entirely remade team, the Hoosiers won in a rout 98-64, in preparation for the FISU American Games in Peru. Aiden Sherell especially stood out with 16 points in the contest.

Afterwards, Indiana head coach Darien DeVries spoke, and Inside the Hall had a photo gallery, players’ stats, and highlights from the victory. Also, Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways.

Banner #2: Monshun Sales Commits To Indiana Football As Highest Ranked Recruit In Program History

The other big news in Hoosier land this week was on the football field and involved recruiting. Fresh off their national championship, IU showed they will likely be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

This is because Indiana landed a commit from the highest-ranked prospect in program history. This player is WR Monshun Sales, who plays in-state for Lawrence North and is ranked in the top-15 nationally.

Sales pledged to the Hoosiers on the Pat McAfee show on Friday and in doing so became the first 5-star player ever to pick IU. Lawrence North was also the high school of recent NFL draftee Omar Cooper and current Indiana WR Davion Chandler.

Banner #3: Basketball Prep For Upcoming Peru Trip

With the exhibition contest now over, IU continues to prepare for its trip to Peru. Practice continues for these games, and while incoming transfer Samet Yigitoglu will be unable to play during the trip as a non-American (he did play in the game this last week, though), the Hoosiers nonetheless expect big things from him during this upcoming season. Also, incoming freshman Trevor Manhertz is expected to contribute.

The games themselves start this week. They will run July 20-Aug 1 with Indiana representing the USA squad.

Banner #4: Football Season Preview

Once again, the football program at IU is expecting big things this fall. This is after coming off their national championship last winter.

Indeed, most expect little drop-off as Indiana ranks near the top of college football again heading into the fall. As a result, Inside the Hall continued previewing each position for the squad separately. This week looked at the linebackers, defensive tackles, and defensive ends.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

Podcast on the Brink returned this week. On it, USBWA Hall of Famer Rick Bozich joined to discuss the Hoosiers’ exhibition victory.

Also, The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Baseball’s Bergman Drafted By MLB

• IU baseball pitcher Jackson Bergman was drafted in the 18th round of the MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox.

• Soccer’s Palmer Ault was given a deal to play professional soccer in the US.

• Volleyball had an athlete compete at the U22 European Championships as part of Team Serbia, and her squad took home the silver medal. Also, the program announced which players will represent IU at Big Ten Media Day.

• Wrestling had a player earn the silver medal at the U-20 Pan American Championships.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Leave a comment

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Homefield Apparel, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

IU added a solid non-conference opponent to its home slate. While it is not necessarily a brand name, it is nonetheless a solid challenge from a regional foe of comparable strength.

Also, the current Indiana squad is preparing for its upcoming summer tour, a football season preview, and former Hoosiers are taking their shot at the NBA by competing in the Summer League. As usual, we will conclude with a look at the weekly shows and the rest of the IU sports scene, which was led by women’s golf adding a staff member.

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is what is in this week’s edition:

• IU Adds Power Five Non-Conference Opponent To Home Slate

• Hoosiers Practice For Upcoming Peru Trip

• Football Season Preview

• Former IU Basketball Players’ Summer League Performances

• Weekly Shows

• Hoosier Roundup-Women’s Golf Adds Staff Member

Banner #1: IU Adds Power Five Non-Conference Opponent To Home Slate

Indiana fans have been clamoring for a non-conference home game in Assembly Hall against high-level competition. This was especially true following the announcement of the Syracuse and Kentucky matchups taking place in Indianapolis, nearby but on a neutral court nonetheless.

Now, it was reported this week by Jon Rothstein that IU will play a Power Five squad in Assembly Hall on December 18 before Big Ten play begins. While it won’t be the elite brand name of the Orange or the Wildcats, it will still be solid competition.

This opponent is Missouri, which is coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and is ranked inside the top-40 for next year according to Bart Torvik. There will be no return match in Columbia in the future, according to the report, and the teams will meet for the first time in 22 years.

Banner #2: Hoosiers Practice For Upcoming Peru Trip

IU continues to prepare for its summer trip to Peru as part of the FISU American Games it will compete in. Also, this week it was revealed which uniforms the Hoosiers will wear for the event as Team USA.

Practice continues for these games, and Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell is looking forward to competing. Sherell was made available to the media at practice this week, as were a couple of other players, including incoming freshman Trevor Manhertz and SMU transfer Samet Yigitoglu. Also, head coach Darian DeVries spoke with Andy Katz.

Banner #3: Football Season Preview

Once again, the football program at IU is expecting big things this fall. This is after coming off their national championship last winter, which featured star QB Fernando Mendoza honored by the Big Ten as the male athlete of the year.

Indeed, ESPN expects little drop-off as they rank Indiana sixth nationally heading into the fall in their FPI Rankings. As a result, Inside the Hall began previewing each position for the squad separately. This week looked at special teams, cornerbacks, and safeties.

Banner #4: Former IU Basketball Players’ Summer League Performances

While no one from last year’s Hoosiers squad was drafted into the NBA, a few recent IU players will get their chance to earn their way into the pros through a tougher avenue. Sam Alexis, Reed Bailey, Tucker DeVries, Luke Goode, and Lamar Wilkerson got a chance in the NBA’s Summer League with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Thunder, respectively.

With the league now underway, these players are now officially competing, and it has been a struggle for these guys to see the court, with Goode the most successful. Goode made his debut in the second game the Lakers played in, scoring three points and then nine points in the subsequent game. He also got into a contest late on Saturday night, but his final point total was not available at the time of 6-Banners’ publication.

Also, Wilkerson put up two points off the bench in his debut in his squad’s first game but has not appeared since. Meanwhile, Alexis did make his first appearance against the Jazz and scored a couple of points. Finally, DeVries and Bailey have yet to see action at all as of this publication.

Presenting Sponsor: Homefield Apparel

Homefield’s annual Black Friday sale has already begun. Use the promo code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout to get 20% off your entire order.

The item of the week for this week is the new “Hurryin’ Hoosiers” snapback hat. Both

Jerod Morris and Tony Adragna have it, and can attest to its quality and fit.

Plus, how cool is it to have an item celebrating the great teams under Branch McCracken?

Get 20% off at Homefield now

Banner #5: Weekly Shows

The Back Home Network has many shows. As a result, it was on air several times this week with programming.

Refer a friend

Do you enjoy The Assembly Call? Please consider sharing our work with other IU fans in your life who you think would appreciate it.

Plus, you get perks (see here) when people sign up using your link.

Refer a friend

Gift subscriptions

And if you want to get generous, consider gifting a premium subscription to the extra special IU fans in your life.

We promise we’ll make it worth their while — and your hard-earned money!

Give a gift subscription

Banner #6: Hoosier Roundup-Women’s Golf Adds Staff Member

• Women’s Golf added an assistant coach to its staff.

• Baseball star Hogan Denny made the USA Collegiate National Team.

• Volleyball had a player make the U22 European Championships.

• Former IU soccer star Daniel Munie made the MLS All-Star roster.

• Field hockey signed a couple of recruits for the future.

• Track and Field will have athletes in summer competition.

• Finally, a couple of Hoosiers received the conference’s Sportsmanship Award.

Thanks for your continued support of The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall. We’ll be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor

The Assembly Call is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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