Indiana University Football Gets a Commitment From 2027 In-State 5-Star Wide Receiver Monshun Sales Indiana has landed a commitment from in-state class of 2027 5-star wide receiver Monshun Sales. He announced the decision live Friday afternoon on the Pat McAfee Show. “Indiana was my second offer and since then they’ve just been pouring into me,” Sales said. “I go up there a lot and talk with coach Shanny (offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan), coach Eddie (offensive assistant Eddie Burk), and coach Cig (Curt Cignetti). They’re my guys. With IU I had the best relationship with the coaches. It just feels like home since day one, and I’m just ready to work.”
Sales talked about his conversations with Cignetti. “Coach Cig is a straight up guy. He’s just going to keep it real with you. He’s not going to tell you what you want to hear. It just kind of clicked instantly. I don’t want someone who is going to tell me what I want to hear and give me bullshit. I want to work for everything.” On his show based in Indiana, McAfee said he got chills when Sales announced for Indiana. “What Curt Cignetti has been able to do down there has ignited a fan base,” McAfee said.
Sales becomes the first 5-star to commit to IU in the modern ranking’s era, and the highest-rated recruit in program history. The 6-foot-5 Sales chose the Hoosiers over top competitors Texas, Ohio State, LSU, Alabama and Miami. According to the industry averages, Sales is the No. 8 overall player in the class, and the No. 2 receiver. He’s the No. 1 overall receiver in the rising senior class at some outlets. As a junior at Lawrence North H.S. in Indianapolis, Sales had 37 catches for 794 yards and 9 touchdowns on offense. He posted 56 tackles as a safety on defense. With the addition of Sales, Indiana’s 17-player 2027 class is now ranked 28th overall, and 10th in the Big Ten at both Rivals and 247Sports.
Bloomington to temporarily close streets for new ‘LITTLE FIVE’ film production The city of Bloomington announced several roads will temporarily close in the coming weeks to film a new movie focused on the Little 500. “LITTLE FIVE,” which will be directed by Ian Samuels, is reportedly set at Indiana University in the 1980s and follows four women who team up to participate in the race. According to Deadline, the film is “inspired by true events,” which Pigasus Pictures revealed was the first women’s Little 500 race in 1988. According to the City of Bloomington, filming is set to take place July 20 through Aug. 13. So far, the city has announced the following closures: Tuesday, Aug. 4: Alley between College Avenue and Walnut Street / 7th Street and 6th Street. Monday, July 20 and Tuesday, July 21: Grant Street from 8th Street to 6th Street and 7th Street from Lincoln Street to Dunn Street. Monday, July 20: Park Avenue from 10th Street to 9th Street. Saturday, Aug. 1: Griffy area. Monday, Aug. 3 and Tuesday, Aug. 4: Kirkwood from Walnut to Indiana and Dunn Street from 6th Street to 4th Street.
One of the biggest closures will be to Kirkwood Avenue, from Walnut Street to Indiana Avenue, just outside IU’s Sample Gates. The other major closure will be to the Griffy Lake area, which is a nature preserve just north of IU’s campus. A residential area near Grant Street and 7th Street will also be impacted for two days. Park Avenue, between 10th Street and 9th Street, will also close temporarily, which is on IU’s campus by the Collins Living Learning Center. Additionally, an alley between College Avenue and Walnut Street, near Brothers Bar & Grill, will close temporarily. The City of Bloomington is warning those in these areas on the days of filming to expect changes to traffic flow, parking and travel routes. The dates of these closures and filming could also change, according to the city, depending on the weather. The film is still seeking extras, according to Pigasus Pictures.
WNBA All-Star Game Rosters Set as Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston are on the Same Team WNBA Hall of Famers Teresa Weatherspoon and Cynthia Cooper were selected as general managers for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game and selected their teams. Here are the full rosters: “Team Coop” (Cynthia Cooper)-Dominique Malonga (Storm), Paige Bueckers (Wings), Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Kelsey Mitchell (Fever), Natasha Howard (Lynx), Gabby Williams (Valkyries), Angel Reese (Dream), Marina Mabrey (Tempo), Kelsey Plum (Aces), Jackie Young (Aces) and Sonia Citron (Mystics). “Team Spoon” (Teresa Weatherspoon)-Caitlin Clark (Fever), A’ja Wilson (Aces), Olivia Miles (Lynx), Aliyah Boston (Fever), Jessica Shepard (Wings), Rhyne Howard (Dream), Alisha Gray (Dream), Jonquel Jones (Liberty), Courtney Williams (Lynx), Kiki Iriafen (Mystics) and Nneka Ogwumike (Sparks). Clark, Boston, and Mitchell are all All-Stars for the third straight year. Boston and Mitchell are All-Stars for the fourth straight season. The WNBA All-Star Game is scheduled for July 25 at the United Center in Chicago.
Former Indiana University Quarterback Fernando Mendoza Unveiled as the Cover Athlete of 2026 Topps Flagship Football Trading Cards On Monday, July 13, the trading-card company Topps unveiled Fernando Mendoza as the cover athlete for its upcoming “2026 Topps Flagship Football” set. In April, Mendoza was picked first overall in the NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, the second time a Hoosier was selected with the top pick, according to previous reporting. Famously, Mendoza led Indiana University to a perfect 16-0 record and the school’s first-ever football national championship. Mendoza was also named Indiana’s first Heisman Trophy winner and earned numerous other players of the year honors. According to a news release, this is Mendoza’s first time on the cover. The “2026 Topps Flagship Football” cards hit retail on Fri., Aug. 21, with the launch marking Topps’ first “Flagship Football” product since it regained the NFL license in April.
At the recent NFL draft, Mendoza appeared in Topps NOW cards, a print-on-demand program that commemorates significant sports moments. Mendoza’s card was released minutes after the Raiders selected him and amassed a print run of over 126,000 over 48 hours, with one select collector receiving a card that Mendoza inscribed with “My 1st NFL Auto,” according to the release. Recently, Mendoza himself has shown that he is a collector, according to the release. He owns the 1/1 “2025 Bowman Chrome Superfractor” of himself at IU, a card which he acquired via trade with a fellow Indiana classmate in exchange for tickets to Indiana’s College Football Playoff games and a jersey.
Damar Teams Up with Indiana Sports Mascots to Illustrate ‘Connection Beyond Words’ In Indiana, sports is such a powerful unifier — the epitome of connection across all groups. For Damar Services, a unique opportunity is presented to use some of the Hoosier State’s most popular sports mascots to illustrate connection beyond words. Damar partnered with several of Indiana’s major sports franchises to create a new video series called the “United All-Mascots Campaign.” The creative concept centers around the message that “connection isn’t spoken, it’s experienced.” The campaign highlights the idea that mascots are nonverbal, just as many individuals in the autism community communicate in ways beyond words.
“When you think about connecting with other people, you always think about, ‘Well, what do I say? How am I going to talk to them?’ Well, our kids and adults — many of them cannot use language,” Damar Services President and CEO Dr. Jim Dalton Said. “Of course, the mascots don’t use language, either. So, we thought it was a perfect match. We’ve had tremendous support from our teams here in central Indiana and from around the state.” Sports in Indiana are a part of the very DNA that makes the Hoosier State great. Oftentimes, athletics are hailed as the very fabric woven into each community’s identity. Dalton called it a seamless fit to their overall mission.
“People don’t realize, but (sports is) a huge thing for the kids and adults that we serve. They want so badly to be involved in sports and want so much to have that same connection — that cheering, that emotion that you have. Bringing the mascots together to facilitate that and to model that and bring awareness is our mission,” Dalton said. “We want the folks in the community to be as excited about what our clients face every day as they are about going to games. We want that same experience for those that we serve.”
Mascots from the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever, Indy Fuel, Indiana University Hoosiers and Indianapolis Indians were on hand at Damar Services’ headquarters on Monday, July 13, interacting with children and making those connections. Dalton said the goal is to showcase to those who view this campaign that connection can transcend the spoken word sparking inclusion and enhanced understanding. “It’s about connection and inclusion. So many of the families that we serve aren’t able to go to sporting events. They aren’t able to go to community events because of the difficulties that they have and an inability to express what is happening,” Dalton said. “What we want to do is raise awareness of some of the challenges that the families we serve face, and have the opportunity through the use of the mascots where you don’t always need language to have strong connections. Sometimes it’s about the way you move or the way you nonverbally communicate, and that’s what we teach those that we are privileged to serve every day. It’s just a great mesh with the mascots because that’s how they communicate, and, boy, what a reaction they get from their fans and what a connection they have. We want that same thing for the people that we serve.” For more information about Damar Services, click here.
Taylor University’s Jaynie Hallterman Named NAIA Women’s Track and Field and Cross Country All-American of the Year While Three More Trojans Garner Academic All-American Status The CSC named its women’s track and field and cross country Academic All-Americans, with Jaynie Halterman selected as the NAIA Academic All-American of the year and three other Trojans as Academic All-Americans. Noel Bass, Addie Draper and Emersyn Funk join Halterman as CSC Academic All-Americans. Taylor matched Missouri Southern State University with the most CSC Academic All-Americans with both programs boasting four.
Halterman has accumulated a perfect 4.00 GPA throughout her philosophy and intercultural studies courseload. The sensational sophomore continued her tremendous collegiate career with a pair of Individual NAIA Championships. Halterman repeated as the NAIA Women’s Cross Country Individual Champion before taking home the Individual Championship during the indoor track and field season in the 5,000-meters and earning NAIA All-American status in the distance medley relay. Halterman has accumulated six NAIA Individual Championships through two years at Taylor while maintaining a perfect GPA. The Thompson’s Station Tennessee native is joined by the University of Alabama’s Doris Lemngole (NCAA D1), West Texas A&M University’s Blessing Akintoye (NCAA D2) and Augustana (Ill.) College’s Charlotte Frere (NCAA D3) as the four recipients of the award for the 2025-26 season.
Halterman’s award comes a year after the last Trojan was recognized as a CSC Academic All-American of the Year, when Jameson Chesser collected the award after a phenomenal football season in 2024. Halterman follows Chesser, Matt Hall (men’s track and cross country, 2017), Josh DeGraff (baseball, 2015), Amanda Roden (women’s soccer, 2014) and Casey Coons (men’s basketball, 2012) as the sixth Trojan to receive the distinguished accolade, becoming the first to do so for the TU women’s track and field and cross country program.
Bass earned CSC First-Team Academic All-American status for a third-consecutive season with a pristine 3.97 GPA in her elementary education studies. The senior distance runner has had an incredible career at TU, picking up 13 NAIA All-American honors. The Petoskey, Michigan native was an NAIA All-American during the cross-country season helping the Trojans to the National Championship and followed with appearances at the NAIA National Championships during both track seasons. Draper repeated as a CSC Second-Team Academic All-American after posting an impeccable 3.99 GPA throughout her sustainable development classes. Draper has been stellar in the 800-meter race, competing at NAIA Nationals in the event the past two season and also being a key cog in the distance medley relay, which has collected NAIA All-American honors the past two seasons.
Funk was named a CSC Second-Team Academic All-American for the first time in her TU career after posting an impressive 3.98 GPA in her computer science-digital media courseload. The senior capped her career a TU as a top seven runner for the NAIA National Champion Trojans during the cross country season. Funk was a two-time NAIA All-American during her junior season as a part of a pair of relay teams and competed at NAIA Nationals during both the indoor and outdoor season as a senior. Taylor Athletics continues to lead the NAIA with 163 CSC Academic All-American honors all-time. Of those 167 total honors, 165 have come since 2010. Halterman, Bass, Draper, and Funk’s awards bring Taylor’s total CSC Academic All-American honorees to 16 during the 2025-26 season.
The CSC Academic All-America program is designed to recognize student-athletes for outstanding achievements in the classroom and on the field. To receive the honor, an athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, must have reached sophomore status academically, and must have met the playing time criteria of playing in 90-percent, or starting in 66-percent of the team’s games during the current season. Honorees on the NAIA Academic All-American team were voted on by CSC members from a pool of CSC Academic All-District award winners.
Indy Eleven Shutout on the Road at Miami FC Indy Eleven fell on the road at Miami FC on Wednesday, conceding on both sides of halftime to lose 2-0 at Pitbull Stadium. The defeat snapped a seven-game winning streak against Miami FC in all competitions for the Boys in Blue, who hadn’t lost to their Eastern Conference rival since 2022. Indy Eleven who entered the game tied for first in league goals conceded with 12 allowed in 12 games — stayed strong defensively for much of the first half. The visitors won the first four corners of the game, finishing with a 9-1 advantage in that category.
Bruno Rendon almost nabbed his eighth league goal of the year in the 39th minute on one of those corners from captain Aodhan Quinn, but his volley from the right side of the six was cleared off the line. Quinn recorded a game-high 10 crosses in the match to increase his season total to a team-high 81. Shortly after, goalkeeper Eric Dick made his only save, catching an airborne shot from outside of the box to the middle of the goal. After Miami took the lead just before halftime, the Boys in Blue were on the front foot for the start of the second half, putting two shots on target in the first 15 minutes after the break. The latter of those came after Rendon made a crafty run into the box off the right wing, but his low shot to the near post was saved.
Miami’s insurance goal ended a seven-game streak for Indy Eleven of allowing one goal or less in the league. The last time a team scored two or more goals against the Boys in Blue was Birmingham Legion FC in a 2-2 draw on April 19. Despite failing to score, the visitors outshot the hosts 13-10. Indy Eleven have won four of their last six in USL-C play and sit in sixth place in the conference. The Boys in Blue have three games in hand on Miami and two games in hand on three of the other four teams above them in the table. Indy Eleven continues its road swing at Detroit City FC this evening at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.