A seemingly unsolvable mechanical issue continues 160 feet in the air in the southeast corner of Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium.
Indiana’s victory flag is stuck atop its flagpole.
As the No. 2 ranked Hoosiers moved to 8-0 on the season in a 56-6 blowout over UCLA on Saturday, the flag towered over the crowd of nearly 55,000 for all 60 minutes.
In fact, it has been raised for weeks for anyone surrounding the stadium to see. No matter how hard people try, it refuses to go down.
Some call it a mechanical issue, others may call it a symbol.
The same flag that fans in Bloomington once rarely saw now constantly makes itself seen and refuses to go away. Indiana’s team success follows the same path, especially at home.
Fans in Bloomington are the greatest beneficiaries. They expect to see the flag raised at home. They expect to see their team win at home. Both sights seem to be stuck in that form.
The difference? There is no mechanical issue within the Indiana football team. The Hoosiers are atop the flagpole of college football by design with calculated choices. There is no intention of coming down.
In 14 home games under head coach Curt Cignetti, Indiana has not lost. That is the second longest streak in the country. Indiana has won all but one of those games by two scores and has won seven of those games by at least 40 points. Attendance records have been shattered. Culture has been established.
On Saturday, as fans filed into the stands following FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff show on the south lawn, anticipation built.
“What do you need to do to get the fans excited and into this game early?” FOX sideline reporter Jenny Taft asked Cignetti right before kickoff.
“They’re going to be into it regardless,” Cignetti responded. “But we can get them louder if we make a few plays, especially in that student section.”
On the first play of the game, Indiana defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker broke through UCLA’s offensive line for a sack. The next play, linebacker Aiden Fisher jumped the Bruins’ first pass attempt of the game and took it to the end zone for a pick-six. Of course, both were right in front of the student section.
It took 53 seconds. The relationship was established. For the remaining 59:07 of game time the 55,000 Indiana fans in attendance never let up. The team only helped their reasons to do so.
The case has been the same over the course of all 14 home games.
Prior to Cignetti’s arrival, sellouts in Bloomington were few and far between. So were wins. The mutual relationship was nonexistent. The team did not provide much to cheer for. Few showed up to cheer. Players did not have energy to feed off. The cycle was broken.
That has flipped. The relationship is as healthy as ever. The team gives the fans a reason to cheer. The fans return the energy. Players use that energy to improve the on-field product.
The cycle repeats and strengthens at every Indiana home game.
The victory flag remains stuck atop the pole. Usually, it signifies an Indiana football victory. Now, it might be celebrating the victory of building a strong relationship between the team and fans that grows every day.
No reason to fix the mechanical issue just yet.
