Indiana University Football lands Franklin HS Defensive Lineman Blake Smythe for the 2026 Class Indiana picked up a commitment from in-state 3-star defensive lineman Blake Smythe on Friday evening. The Franklin Community H.S. (Franklin, Ind.) product is the No. 73 defensive lineman in the nation according to the On3 Industry average. Smythe picked IU over five other finalists — Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Louisville and Michigan State. Indiana offered Smythe a scholarship in January. He made multiple visits to IU including for the 66-0 win over Purdue in November. The 6-foot-3 and 290-pound Smythe projects to play along the interior of the defensive front under the direction of assistant coach Pat Kuntz. Smythe will be a legacy player at IU. His grandfather Mark Smythe played for the Hoosiers from 1979-83. He was a team captain and went on to play in the NFL. His father played college football as well. “I feel like they have a great thing going and (it’s great) to keep the Smythe legacy in Bloomington,” he told On3’s Steve Wiltfong. As a junior in 2024, Smythe posted 96 tackles (13 for loss) with 5.5 sacks and three pass breakups. He was named first team all-conference and to the 5A IFCA Junior All-State team. He also plays along the offensive line and plays baseball at Franklin. Indiana now has seven commits in its rapidly expanding 2026 class. Smythe is the second interior defensive lineman and second player from Indiana.
Indiana University Football Strength and Conditioning Coach Derek Owings Signs New Contract after Turning Down USC Indiana football director of athletic performance Derek Owings emerged as a strong candidate for a head strength and conditioning coach opening with USC, per a report from 247Sports. But just over two hours after that report surfaced, things already changed. ESPN has now reported Owings is signing a new three-year contract with “a big pay raise” that will keep him in Bloomington. Owings is set to enter his sixth season working with IU head coach Curt Cignetti, joining his James Madison staff in 2020 and following him to Bloomington ahead of spring 2024. Cignetti and Indiana players, on multiple occasions, attributed Owings for the team’s physicality and strength across the board. Owings also played a role in the Hoosiers staying relatively healthy throughout last season. They lost Nick Kidwell and Drew Evans to season-ending injuries, and Kurtis Rourke missed time with a thumb injury suffered during the Nebraska game, but they rarely lost any players to the sorts of soft tissue injuries that can easily spring up in football.
Retaining Owings ensures continuity for Cignetti’s program entering the summer. Fall camp doesn’t begin until August, and May and June are heavy recruiting months for the coaching staff. But the summer leading into fall camp is a key window for individual work, particularly with strength and conditioning. The Hoosiers will now avoid any hiccups with that important summer work. This isn’t the first time Indiana’s faced a situation like this. Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines was linked with other defensive coordinator job openings earlier in the offseason, and Indiana gave him a new contract to keep him around.
Indiana University Baseball Head Coach Jeff Mercer Picks up his 200th Win as the Hoosier Head Coach Friday Night Timely two-run hits from a trio of Hoosiers helped the Indiana Baseball team (25-21, 12-12 B1G) to a commanding Friday night victory in Texas. IU took the lead in the second inning and never trailed as it finished off an 8-4 victory over Abilene Christian at Bullock Brothers Ballpark. Redshirt senior catcher Jake Stadler and freshman outfielder Hogan Denny each had two-run home runs while freshman first baseman Jake Hanley worked a two-out, two-run double to help the Hoosiers put up crooked numbers in the second and sixth innings. Seven different Hoosiers had a hit in the ballgame.
Senior southpaw Ryan Kraft (W, 2-1) and graduate student right-handed pitcher Cole Gilley (SV, 1) combined to throw all nine innings. Outside of two pitches, Kraft was outstanding in six innings of work. He matched a career high with seven strikeouts and didn’t allow a single walk in the ballgame. Gilley finished off the final nine outs with four strikeouts and just one hit. IU took advantage of eight free passes from the Abilene Christian pitching staff. Redshirt sophomore outfielder Korbyn Dickerson reached twice on a pair of walks while freshman shortstop Cooper Malamazian was on due to a walk and hit-by-pitch. The Hoosiers scored six runs with two outs on the night. Head coach Jeff Mercer – who is also now 3-0 while coaching third base this year – recorded the 200th win of his IU career. After taking over the program before the 2019 season, he has continued to build a tradition of winning in Bloomington. He’s the fourth coach in IU history to reach 200 wins.
Indiana University Softball takes down Archrival Purdue in Extra Innings After Indiana led 3-0 early on, the Hoosiers and Purdue ended up tied at 3-3 through the first seven innings on Friday night at Bittinger Stadium. In the top of the ninth, Indiana got the bats clicking again and pulled ahead 5-3 to hold on for the series opening win. The rivalry win puts Indiana’s season record at 31-16 overall and 9-11 in the Big Ten. Indiana got on the board in top of the first inning when Kinsey Mitchell doubled to the wall in left center, bringing Avery Parker home for a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the second, Brianna Copeland threw a strikeout to start and end the half inning. Taylor Minnick went yard for a 2-run home run in the top of the third inning, launching the ball over the center field wall to put Indiana up 3-0.
Madalyn Strader got the Hoosiers out of the fourth inning with a leaping grab to catch the line drive off of Alivia Meeks’ bat. Purdue’s Julia Gossett got the Boilermakers on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut into Indiana’s lead and make it 3-1. With two runners on, Cassidy Kettleman made the inning-ending out in foul territory to stall Purdue’s bats. Purdue tied the game at 3-3 with two runs scored on back-to-back sacrifice flies in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the game to extra innings. The Boilermakers had the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning. Copeland pitched Polar into a groundout to Bird at first to escape the jam. Indiana put together the winning rally in the top of the ninth inning. Mitchell opened the frame with a double to the left center wall. Then, Aly VanBrandt bunted for a single and moved Mitchell to third base. Melina Wilkison hit a sac fly out to center field and brought Mitchell home to take a 4-3 lead. Strader chipped in with an RBI single to left center after Wilkison, bringing VanBrandt home and making it a 5-3 game. Both of Mitchell’s hits were doubles. With the win, Copeland’s record improved to 15-7. Minnick’s home run increased her career total to 43, tying the program’s all-time record held by Copeland. Indiana outhit Purdue, 7-5. Minnick (2), Mitchell (1), Wilkison (1) and Strader (1) each recorded at least one RBI.
Indiana Fever and Radio One Announce that 93.5/107.5 The Fan in Indianapolis will be the Team’s Official Radio Broadcast Partner The Indiana Fever and Radio One announced today that 93.5/107.5 The Fan will be the team’s official radio broadcast partner during the highly anticipated 2025 WNBA season. All Fever preseason and regular season games, home and away, will be broadcast live on 93.5/107.5 The Fan, bringing fans closer to the action with commentary and in-depth coverage. Former University of Kentucky standout and Indiana Miss Basketball Bria Goss will provide the game analysis, and long-time broadcaster John Nolan will deliver the play-by-play on the Old National Bank Radio Network. “We’re thrilled to bring the Indiana Fever to the airwaves on The Fan, which has a strong reputation for their top-tier sports coverage and commentary,” PS&E CEO Mel Raines said. “This partnership is an exciting way for us to make Fever basketball more accessible and grow our fanbase across Indiana and beyond.”
The new partnership tipped off with coverage of the Fever’s first preseason yesterday afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against the Washington Mystics. “Radio One is honored to be the official radio partner for all Indiana Fever games on 93.5/107.5 The Fan,” Radio One Vice President/General Manager Andrea Kahrer said. “This partnership underscores our commitment to delivering premier sports coverage and supporting the continued growth of women’s professional basketball. We look forward to bringing Fever fans across Indiana closer to the action and sharing in the excitement of the team’s journey.”
“Basketball is such an integral part of the Indiana community, and the Fever are certainly a big part of that story,” Radio One Sports Format Captain Jeff Rickard said. “For 107.5 The Fan to be able to share in telling the story of this exciting chapter in Indiana’s pro basketball history is a wonderful opportunity. We’re thrilled we can bring Fever fans a little closer to the action.” For more information about how to watch or listen to the Fever all season long, visit feverbasketball.com/waystowatch.
Bria Goss is an Indianapolis native and attended the University of Kentucky. Bria was a standout basketball player at Ben Davis High School, winning two state championships and being named Indiana Miss Basketball. In her time at UK, she was the 2012 SEC Freshman of the Year and appeared in two Elite Eights. She played professionally at several overseas destinations, including Poland, Sweden, Finland, Israel, Romania, and Slovakia. She accepted an invitation to Indiana Fever training camp in 2019. Bria was a member of the Indiana Fever television broadcast from 2020-23 and has also worked with SEC Network and ESPN+.
John Nolan is a New Jersey native and attended Syracuse University. John has been a broadcast announcer for the Indiana Mad Ants from 2017-present. In 2024, he was the play-by-play broadcaster for the NBA G League All-Star Game, and earlier this year he filled in on radio play-by-play for the Brooklyn Nets. He has served as an announcer for the Fort Wayne TinCaps, a minor league affiliate of the San Diego Padres, since 2013, providing television play by play at home games and radio play by play on the road. Additionally, John announces a variety of Purdue University Fort Wayne sports and has worked with several other colleges and organizations, including the Horizon League.
Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers Kick Off the Eastern Conference Semifinals This Evening in Cleveland After Tuesday night’s dramatic overtime comeback win to close out their first round series with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Indiana Pacers are back in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Fourth-seeded Indiana will take on top-seeded Cleveland in the second round of the playoffs. The NBA announced the dates for all seven games in the Pacers-Cavaliers series on Wednesday afternoon. Times and television information were announced on Friday night.
The series will tip off in Cleveland Tonight at 6:00 PM, with Game 2 scheduled for Tuesday at 7:00 PM. The Pacers will then host Games 3 and 4 next weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Game 3 is on Friday, May 9 at 7:30 PM and Game 4 is Sunday, May 11 at 8:00 PM. If necessary, Game 5 would be in Cleveland on Tuesday, May 13, Indiana would host Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday, May 15, and a winner-take-all Game 7 would take place in Cleveland on Sunday, May 18. Games 1, 2, 4, and 5 will air on TNT, while’s Games 3 and 6 are scheduled for ESPN. The TV network for Game 7 is TBD.
Single game tickets for all three potential second round home games went on sale to the general public on Friday afternoon. Fans can visit Pacers.com/Playoffs to purchase tickets, sign up for exclusive presale access, and guarantee playoff seats by placing a deposit on a 2025-26 season ticket plan. This is the fourth time the Pacers and Cavs have met in the postseason. All three previous meetings were in the first round, with the Pacers prevailing 3-1 in a best-of-five series in 1998 and the Cavaliers sweeping Indiana in four games in 2017 and then being pushed to seven games by the Pacers in 2018. The Pacers won three of four games against Cleveland during the regular season. The final two contests between the two Central Division rivals took place over the final four days of the regular season, after both teams had already secured playoff berths.